State government offers free flu vaccination for kids under five

CHILDREN under five will be offered free flu shots from May after the Andrews Government stepped in where the Turnbull Government refused.

FREE influenza shots will be offered to Victorian ­children under five from next flu season.

The state government will today announce a $3.5 million program to ­provide flu shots to more than 385,000 children aged six months to five years old in a bid to avoid a repeat of last year’s ­horror season.

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The move also takes a shot at the federal government, which is responsible for the National Immunisation Program but has refused to ­extend flu vaccinations to cover children.

It comes as new research reveals the reasons some ­parents do not give their children the flu jab, even though the vaccine is safe and effective in this age group.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has ignored calls to cover children with a free flu vaccine. Picture: AAP

Common misconceptions uncovered in the Monash University study were that the jab could cause the flu and that children needed to be ­exposed to “build their ­immunity”. The study found some parents would consider the shot if it was recommended by their doctor or on the NIP schedule.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced the NIP would include a ­turbocharged free flu vaccine for over-65s, but ignored calls to cover children.

Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy said flu was the greatest cause of hospital admissions among children, and the state government would step in to ensure families could have their children vaccinated free from May to protect them during the peak of this year’s flu season.

Minister for Health Jill Hennessy said flu was the greatest cause of hospital admissions among children. Picture: Kylie Else

“And we’ll keep pressuring Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals to protect Victorian kids permanently,” she said.

The Monash Uni study, ­published in the journal, Vaccine, found children under five were not being vaccinated against flu, despite being vulnerable to the illness.

Department of general practice PhD student Ruby Biezen said interviews with maternal and child health nurses and pharmacists found common reasons they did not recommend shots were ­uncertainty about vaccine ­efficacy in young children and concerns about out-of-pocket costs for parents.

Ivy Warfield, 3, had a sever case of the flu last year and spent a week in the Royal Children’s Hospital. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Last year, more than 3941 children were reported struck down with the flu, compared with just 871 a year earlier.

April Warfield hopes other families will be spared the pain her daughter Ivy, 3, ­experienced last year.

Ivy was struck down with influenza A and taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital suffering febrile convulsions. She spent a week in hospital recovering, including time in intensive care.

“We went downhill very quickly,” Ms Warfield said.

“We didn’t know what was wrong with her, we didn’t think it would be the flu. ­Immunisations are definitely important — we don’t want to go through that again.”

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