One of the UK’s most senior paediatric doctors has issued a stark warning about the risks of the new “super flu” to children.
Hospitals across the country are seeing a rise in children attending A&E with flu, The Independent has been told, as some schools have been forced to shut to prevent the spread of a new mutant strain of the winter bug.
The new H3N2 strain is different from the strain that this year’s vaccines were designed to protect against, prompting concerns that it could be less effective.
Dr Helen Stewart, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s (RCPCH) officer for health improvement, told The Independent parents should not delay getting their children checked by a doctor if they become unwell with flu symptoms.
The paediatric emergency care medic said: “Paediatricians are having an extremely difficult and busy winter, with high rates of flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) across the UK. Flu is driving a lot of admission numbers at an earlier stage of the year than usual. Many people are mistaken in thinking that the flu is simply a bad cold; however, this is far from the case.
“The flu can make children feel very poorly and lead to serious complications.”
Health experts have already warned that this winter could be one of the worst yet for flu, with the most severe outbreak in decades already wreaking havoc on the NHS.
In response to the surge in hospital cases, the RCPCH has published guidance for parents and carers this winter and said the flu vaccine remains the best option to protect children.
Figures show around 3.3 million school-aged children had had a flu vaccine by 5 December, with 489,742 of those children aged two and three.
The increased pressure on emergency services and children’s A&E comes as a new study reveals the scale of corridor care happening in emergency departments, with 4.8 per cent and 23 per cent of hospitals reporting treating children in corridors in March.
Last week, NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey warned the NHS was set to see record numbers of flu patients admitted to hospital and units across the country, including University Hospitals Birmingham, have begun to declare critical incidents, meaning the hospital cannot function as usual, as flu pressures have worsened.
And leading children’s hospital in Liverpool, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, has warned the public that it is seeing an early rise in winter illnesses, including flu.
Its chief nurse, Nathan Askew, said: “The best protection for you and your family is the flu vaccine, especially if you’re eligible for a free NHS jab. It lowers the risk of serious illness and helps ease pressure on health services.”
The warnings from hospital clinicians come as schools have been forced to close or take measures to reduce the spread of illness, and NHS Providers chief executive Daniel Elkeles urged people with cold or flu symptoms to wear a mask in public as the health sector braces for a “tidal wave” of illness this winter.
What are the symptoms flu?
Flu signs and symptoms develop very rapidly, and extreme tiredness is common. This differs from the symptoms of colds, which occur more gradually, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The symptoms and severity of H3N2 illness have been similar to seasonal flu, including fever, cough, runny nose, and possibly other symptoms, such as body aches, vomiting, or diarrhoea.
What is the H3N2 flu strain? Symptoms and advice as UK cases surge
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