North East parents have been urged to ensure their children have had the flu vaccine this winter - amid warnings that December saw the onset of the so-called "twindemic" as there were seven times as many people in hospital with flu than a month earlier.
Children aged two and three, those in school years up to year 9 are offered a free flu vaccine - along with older youngsters who may have long-term health conditions. Parents of the under-fours and children in high-risk groups are able to book vaccine appointments with their GPs, while older children can get appointments through school vaccination services.
This comes as NHS bosses warn that, around the country, there were 3,746 patients a day in hospital with flu - up from 520 a day a month earlier. By comparison at the end of December 2021 there were just 34 patients in hospital with flu.
