Primary school pupils have been made a priority however.
PHE said it has received the flu vaccine for children slightly later than usual due to a delay in the World Health Organisation (WHO) announcing the strain.
It comes as parents of children eligible for the vaccine receive letters from Provide, on behalf of the NHS, recommending they protect their children against flu.
All two and three-year-olds are eligible for the flu vaccine, offered as a nasal spray and delivered only by a child’s GP practice. Children who turned four after 31 August are also eligible as are primary school pupils.
Children with long-term health conditions are also eligible for the flu vaccine, however for children under the age of two, this is in the form of an injected vaccination.
PHE told Nursery World that schools have been made a priority to receive the vaccine as they are already planning their vaccination sessions.
A PHE spokesperson said, ‘This year the NHS plans to vaccinate more children and adults than ever before. GPs have ordered supplies for adults from manufacturers in the usual way and batches of the vaccines for schools are being delivered too.
‘Timings for the delivery of flu vaccine are always subject to change because of the nature of the manufacturing and regulatory release processes. Each year PHE advise the NHS that this is accounted for when planning the delivery of the children’s flu programme. Schools and GPs are therefore always advised not to plan clinics too early each season as we know that timings can change.’
