Resources available for #iHVInsights: Strep A and Flu

Calling all iHV members – if you missed our iHV Insights webinar on “Raising awareness of Group A Streptococcus and childhood influenza infections” last week, then don’t worry as the resources from this iHV Insights, as well as the previous ones, are available to iHV members to access as a free member benefit afterwards.

On Thursday 23 February, we covered:

The national picture – current rates of Strep A, Scarlet Fever, Invasive Group A Strep (IGAS), Influenzas (Flu) and rates in the UK
Presentation and symptoms in babies and children
Safety netting- supporting parents to know when to worry and where to get help
Sharing resources to support your practice

Click here to catch up on iHV Insights: Strep A and Flu, as well as previous iHV Insights sessions - don't forget to login for access

If you were unable to join the live event, iHV members can access the following after each iHV Insights event:

Recording of the live iHV Insights webinar
Pdf of webinar slides
Record of Attendance/ Reflection template for you to download and complete for each iHV Insights attended

Next iHV Insights

23 March 2023 15:30-16:30 – Supporting you in practice – Current health visiting practice topics

The session will cover:

Co-sleeping, safer sleep and SIDS with Stella Parkin, National Lead for CONI, Lullaby Trust
Meeting the Health, Wellbeing and Safeguarding Needs of Families Seeking Asylum with Elaine Goodwin, Nursing and Inclusion Health Lead, NHS England
Keeping babies and children safe around dogs in the home with Maria Kyle, Family Engagement Manager, Intervention Development, Dogs Trust

The webinar will be recorded and will be available to iHV Members who are unable to join the live webinar on our website after the event.

Please join us. Spaces are limited so please do book early to avoid disappointment. Please use your iHV membership number to book your place.

Go to EventBrite to book your place today

About iHV Insights

iHV Insights are webinars run just for our members.

These live online sessions are of interest to frontline health visitors and student health visitors, as well as service leads, commissioners and wider members of the health visiting team, both in the UK and with lots of transferable learning for our international members too.

If you are not an iHV member, join us today to access these resources and many other member benefits.

Raising awareness of Group A Strep and childhood influenza infections – iHV Insights webinar

We are delighted to announce our February iHV Insights webinar – Raising awareness of Group A Streptococcus and childhood influenza infections and their management in babies and children.

Thanks to specific project funding to support raising awareness of this important topic, this iHV Insights event is open to all health visitors to book.

This webinar is on Thursday 23 February (join from 3:15pm to allow a prompt start) 3:30pm to 4:30 pm.

Key topics covered
• The national picture – current rates of Strep A, Scarlet Fever, Invasive Group A Strep (IGAS) Influenzas (Flu) and rates in the UK
• Presentation and symptoms in babies and children
• Safety netting – supporting parents to know when to worry and where to get help
• Sharing resources to support your practice

Please join us – spaces are limited so please do book early to avoid disappointment.

How to book

Go to our Eventbrite booking page to book your place. If you have any problems or enquiries, please email [email protected] and we will be happy to help.

Once you have submitted your details, you will be able to select your ticket and proceed to checkout – please note that this webinar is free to all health visitors.

Book your place here

Previous iHV Insights

The great news is that all iHV Insights webinars are available for iHV members to access as a free member benefit after the event, as well as joining the live session. As a member, you can access all of our previous iHV Insights webinars.

Click here and log in to catch up on our previous iHV Insights.

Not an iHV member?

If you are not an iHV member, join us today to book your place on future iHV Insights, to access these resources and many other member benefits.

New NICE quality standard – Flu vaccination: increasing uptake

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a new quality standard on increasing the uptake of flu vaccinations among people who are eligible.

The quality standard discusses the following priority areas for improvement:

To use a range or combination of methods, such as phone, face-to-face, or social media communications, to invite people in eligible groups for flu vaccination. Commissioners are encouraged to review their services to make sure systems are in place to accommodate these different methods.
To include information within invitations to vaccination appointments about people’s individual situation or clinical risk. This will help eligible people understand the benefits of having a flu vaccine and why getting flu could be particularly risky for them.
To ensure health records are timely, accurate and consistent in order to improve the accuracy of uptake figures and reduce unnecessary invitations to those who have already had flu vaccinations.
To ensure employers enable health and social care staff who are in direct contact with vulnerable people to have flu vaccinations, including allowing flexibility during shifts.

Go to NICE Quality Standard - Flu vaccination: increasing uptake

Promote the flu vaccine

PHE has announced the beginning of the flu season.

They have asked for your support in promoting the flu vaccine – particularly for toddlers aged 2 and 3. Their latest data shows that uptake in this group is lower than the previous season due to the earlier delays of the children’s vaccine.

The delays have now been resolved. Parents should contact their GP for a free flu vaccine, which is just a quick and easy nasal spray, as soon as possible.

Flu can be horrible for little children and if they get it, they can spread it round the whole family.

Watch short videos below:

PHE and NHS England urge eligible people to get free flu vaccine

Parents of 2 and 3-year olds are urged to protect their children against flu, which can be a serious and fatal illness.

Those aged 65 and over, children and adults with underlying medical conditions and pregnant women are also urged to get their free vaccine in the next few weeks, before flu begins to circulate widely.

The primary schools-based flu vaccination programme is once again underway. This follows a temporary pause in the ordering of the nasal vaccine, which was caused by delays from the manufacturer.

Primary school clinics will be rescheduled as soon as possible and children in high risk groups should visit their GP if their school session has been delayed, to ensure that they are protected early. GPs have now been advised to call in all eligible children for vaccination by early December.

PHE – National Childhood flu programme 2017 to 2018

Provides information on the flu vaccination programme 2017 to 2018 for children, the vaccine and how to administer it.

This document on the flu vaccination and vaccination programme includes information on:

what flu is
the flu vaccine
dosage
administering the vaccine
advice on vaccinating children with an egg allergy
further resources

In the 2017/18 flu season, flu vaccine should be offered to all children who are aged two to eight years old (but not nine years or older) on 31 August 2017 and to all primary school-aged children in former primary school pilot areas. It should also be offered to children from six months of age in clinical risk groups.

The key changes to the childhood flu programme in the 2017/18 flu season are that:

Reception Year (children aged 4-5 years) will now be offered flu vaccination in their reception class, rather than through general practice
Children in School Year 4 (children aged 8-9 years) will be included in the programme this year as part of the phased roll-out of the children’s programme

Go to PHE National Childhood Flu Programme 2017/18