YOUNG children aged over six months and under five years will be offered the swine flu vaccine. The swine flu vaccination programme will be extended to offer healthy children aged over six months and under five years protection against the virus. Childre

YOUNG children aged over six months and under five years will be offered the swine flu vaccine.

The swine flu vaccination programme will be extended to offer healthy children aged over six months and under five years protection against the virus.

Children under five years of age are more likely than other groups to be hospitalised if they become ill with swine flu. Young children also have high rates of admission to critical care and, sadly, there have been some deaths in this group.

Vaccination of people in clinical risk groups is well under way. Vaccinating these groups remains a priority to protect those at greatest risk from swine flu.

Deputy director of public health with NHS West Essex, Pam Hall, said: "Young children aged over six months and under five years will be offered the vaccine once GPs have completed the vaccination of the priority groups.

"Parents of children in this age bracket should wait to be contacted by their local surgery."

She added: "Our first priority is to ensure that people with clinical risk factors and frontline health and social care staff are vaccinated.

"Protecting those most at risk from the disease will reduce the levels of serious illness and deaths.

"Vaccination remains a personal choice, but I urge everyone who is offered the vaccine to accept it.