25 October 2025 , 21:42
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Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated against a flu "wildfire" over half-term as cases rise.
Pop-up clinics are being set up in fire stations, bowling alleys, football pitches, and libraries across the UK to help aid vaccination efforts as health officials warn of an early flu season.
NHS England said many schoolchildren will have already received flu vaccines at school, but said there were still other options available.
The chief nursing officer for England said the early rise of flu cases was "hugely concerning," and that there was a "worrying increase in children."
"Flu can spread like wildfire across schools and can make children really unwell," Duncan Burton said, "the virus changes each year, so vaccination remains the best way to shield your child from getting seriously ill.
"That’s why we’re making it easier than ever before for children to get the vaccine close to home or at school.
"I’m urging parents to check their child’s options for flu vaccine as soon as possible."
World Affairs Correspondent