Public Health England is urging all at risk people not to ‘put off’ getting the vaccination until flu is circulating more widely.

Parents should get their toddlers vaccinated against flu now to protect them from severe illness and stop the virus sweeping through their family this winter.

Flu can be nasty for healthy under-fives who are more likely to be admitted to hospital with flu than any other age group – and five times more likely than 65-year-olds.

Two million two, three and four-year-olds – so-called ‘super-spreaders’ because they infect lots of people – are eligible for the free nasal spray flu vaccine from their GP.

Compared to the same period last year, there has been a 4.2% increase in vaccination amongst pregnant women, a 2.2% increase in over 65s, and a 1.8% increase for people under 65s at risk in England.

For most healthy people, flu is an unpleasant but usually self-limiting disease with recovery taking up to a week. However for older people, the very young, pregnant women and those with a health condition - particularly chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease or those with a weakened immune system - are at particular risk from the more serious effects of flu. As a result these groups are offered a flu vaccination by the NHS - it’s free, because they need it.

Each winter hundreds of thousands of people see their GP and tens of thousands are hospitalised because of flu. Last winter, PHE received reports of 904 people admitted to intensive care or high dependency units with laboratory confirmed flu and 98 deaths.

This figure doesn’t account for the many deaths where flu is not recognised or reported - estimates of the annual number of deaths attributable to flu range from 4 to 14,000 per year, with an average of around 8,000 per year.

Since 2013, 2 and 3 year olds have been eligible for flu vaccination with a newly available nasal spray, and this year the spray is also being offered to 4 year olds.

In Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (as of 31 October), 19.5% of 2-year-olds have received the flu vaccine while the 3-year-olds uptake rate is currently 20%. Amongst 4-year-olds, who have been offered the flu vaccine for the first time in 2014/15, uptake is currently 15.9%.

Dr Alison MacKenzie, Consultant in Public Health - Screening and Immunisation Lead at Public Health England and the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly NHS England Area Team, said: “Flu can be really nasty for toddlers, leading to time off nursery which has a big impact on mums and dads and sometimes even a stay in hospital. “They also spread the virus easily and often pass flu to grandparents and other relatives who can become very ill, fast.

“Giving two, three and four year olds the free nasal spray really is in everyone’s interests if you want to help avoid a miserable winter for all the family.”

Dr Richard Pebody, head of seasonal flu surveillance at PHE, said: “People with certain long-term health conditions are at much greater risk of becoming seriously unwell if they catch flu and sadly, many end up in hospital. The best way people can protect themselves from flu is to take up the offer of free vaccination from their GP as soon as it becomes available.

“It’s not too late to get vaccinated, and we urge anyone who is eligible but hasn’t yet received their free flu vaccination to contact their GP.”