It is not too late for your child to receive their flu vaccination. Children are ‘super-spreaders’ of flu, and vaccination protects them against catching flu and also protects more vulnerable members of the community from catching flu.  Children aged 2 & 3 years can receive their flu vaccination from their GP, and children up to age 10 can receive this at school (catch up clinics are regularly run in the community).

Young children are particularly vulnerable to extremes in temperature.  Children can be kept warm and well by:

• Heating your home to at least 18C or slightly warmer if required,
• Dressing your child in layers of clothing during the day, rather than 1 thick layer, and wearing a hat, scarf and gloves when outdoors
• Ensuring that children’s shoes have good grip
• Keeping children active when indoors
• Providing children with hot meals and warm drinks
• Encourage children to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, throw away used tissues as soon as possible, and encourage children to wash their hands regularly with soap and water.
• Not delaying getting treatment for colds and sore throats.  Your local pharmacist can provide advice on treatment so that children can recover quickly.

For more advice on how to keep warm and keep well in this cold weather, visit https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/keep-warm-keep-well/ and follow @wfcouncil on twitter for updates on the cold weather and local services.

In the unlikely event of school closure, please check this website and the Waltham Forest website