Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Telegraph
The Telegraph
Health
Harriet Barber

Vaccinate children against flu to ward off Strep A, parents told

Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria, - KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria, - KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Parents should vaccinate young children against flu to ward off Strep A infections, health officials have said.

New research found the nasal spray vaccine reduced the incidence of Group A Strep (GAS) from 93 per 100,000 children aged two to four, to 73.5 per 100,000 in the same age bracket.

“Our findings suggest that the nasal spray vaccine programme, which offers very good protection against flu, may also help contribute to reductions in the rates of GAS infections among children,” said Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, consultant epidemiologist for immunisation and countermeasures at UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

“Children who catch influenza are at greater risk from subsequent infections, including Group A Strep, so these findings provide yet more reasons for parents of eligible children to bring them forward for the flu vaccine.”

The UK is currently facing “unusually high rates” of GAS infections, the UKHSA added.

GAS infection commonly causes mild illnesses such as tonsillitis, pharyngitis, impetigo, cellulitis and scarlet fever. However, in rare instances, GAS infection can lead to invasive iGAS, which can cause life-threatening conditions.

On Thursday, the UKHSA reported 74 deaths from iGas across all age groups this season, which includes 16 children under 18 in England. Children under 10 years old have been most affected.

The UKHSA study compared rates of GAS infections in areas where the vaccine was being piloted between 2013-17 with areas where the vaccine was not being offered as widely.

In five to 10-year-olds, rates of GAS were 50.3 per 100,000 children in pilot areas, compared to 57.8 per 100,000 in non-pilot areas.

While there was no difference in scarlet fever or iGAS, it is hoped the nasal vaccine could help reduce Group A infections overall.

In the UK, all primary school children, and most children aged two to three, can receive the nasal spray flu vaccine for free on the NHS. 

Some secondary school-aged children can also receive the flu vaccine, as can all under 17s with long-term health conditions. If a child has missed this year’s flu vaccine, they should contact their GP.

In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, the World Health Organization said that seasonal vaccine rates have dropped across the continent since the pandemic.

“Routine vaccine and seasonal vaccines dropped off during the pandemic,” said Dr Catherine Smallwood, senior emergency officer for the WHO’s European region. “We would certainly now encourage vaccination.”

Data from the UKHSA shows 57 per cent of primary school children had the flu vaccine between September 2021 and January 2022, compared to 62 per cent the previous year. Data from this year will not be released until 2023.

Cases climb in Europe

France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sweden have all also now recorded an increase in iGas cases, while Turkey and Cyprus have ramped up their surveillance this week.

It is feared more countries could be affected as some do not report this data to the WHO.

The WHO urged vigilance this winter and called on governments on the continent to share advice on how to diagnose Strep A with doctors.

“Increase vigilance to iGAS cases, especially when respiratory viruses are widely circulating in children,” said Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO Regional Director for Europe.

“Clinical and lab diagnostics are key. It’s all about detection,” said Dr Smallwood. “Health workers must undertake a proper assessment. Once detected, management is pretty straightforward – prompt treatment with antibiotics.”

Strep A is responsible for more than 500,000 deaths annually worldwide, according to the WHO.

While the increase in iGas cases has been particularly marked during the second half of the year, signs that Europe could be hit by a surge first became evident in the spring. 

“We noticed the increase quite early, in April and May,” said Prof Nina van Sorge, a microbiologist at Amsterdam University Medical Centre. “Over the summer you would expect it to be a little more quiet – as it is seasonal – but it wasn’t very quiet, it continued over summer.”

Cases do normally rise in the spring but the jump was noticeable, she said, leading to the country’s health experts to hold regular meetings to assess the situation.

In France, like the UK, the number of iGAS cases observed in children has been several-fold higher than pre-pandemic levels. Children in three different regions have now been affected. 

The French Health Directorate stressed on Tuesday the importance of administering antibiotics and monitoring symptoms for early diagnosis and treatment.

Ireland has more than double the amount of cases compared to the same period in 2019, reporting 56 iGas cases in children under 10, against the previous 22.

Sweden has reported a similar increase to Ireland, recording 16 iGas cases among under 10s this year, compared to seven in 2018 and 10 in 2019.

The WHO also warned that the drop in routine vaccinations over the pandemic could fuel a return of vaccine-preventable diseases, like measles, next year.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.