This week's message from the doctor Pt. 2
Part 2
Young people aged 16-17 can make their appointment via the online booking service or visit a walk-in vaccination centre. For more information:
www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination.
For 12-15 years olds the vaccine will be done at schools. Consent will be needed from a parent or carer before a vaccine is given. At the moment 12-15 yr olds cannot use a vaccination walk-in centre. If your child misses the vaccine at school they will still be offered the jab at a follow-up programme.
Like all adults some children will get side effects from the vaccine – the commonest ones are soreness over the injection site, headaches, generalised aches, and mild fever which can last 2-3 days. And again just like adults, the children will be observed for 15 minutes after their jab to watch for any reactions. Most children with any sort of significant allergy are safe to have the vaccine - if in doubt do talk to your GP or practice nurse.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine does not contain any animal products or eggs and is therefore suitable for vegans, Jews, and Muslims. The British Islamic Medical Association has a useful guide: www.britishima.org
Covid is still running rife in the UK with over 1000 deaths per week. There were over 200,000 children off ill with Covid in the last 7 days. The UK now has one of the highest rates of Covid infection and death rates in Europe. Society seems to have become inured to these facts and figures. We still don’t know the long-term consequences of Covid infection on children. Many are already suffering from Long Covid. In the UK we are only relying on vaccinations – there seem to be no other significant plans in place. In Europe they still have to wear masks in some countries, many are issuing health passports for increased freedom. This is why they have the fraction of cases and deaths that we do. We can only hope it does not get worse here.
The flu season is nowhere so please do get your flu jab if you are eligible. After low levels of the flu virus, last year it's probable that many of us have low immunity against it this year and may suffer quite badly from it. That together with high levels of circulating coronavirus, cooler weather, and spending much more time mixing inside means that many people might get the flu and coronavirus together. Studies show that those infected with both viruses at the same time are twice as likely to die than if they only had coronavirus.
Please protect yourselves and your families – wear masks when you can meet in well-ventilated areas, and get the vaccine (Covid and flu) when it's due. If you become ill please get a Covid test so that you don’t spread it to others.
As well as Covid and flu there are a lot of other viruses going around with children, in particular, is affected:
The COMMON COLD – children will pick these up and other viruses on a regular basis especially if they are starting playschool, nursery, or have an older sibling that brings home the bugs. Doctors often call these ‘URTIs’ – upper respiratory tract infections. This exposure to viruses and bugs is important as this is the way we all become immune eventually. But babies and young children are meeting these bugs for the first time so it's not unusual for some to get 6-12 cold-like viruses a year. Some will last a few days, some a few weeks. Some will cause just a few glands to appear in the neck for a while and the child will be generally well. Most symptoms are often mild including a tickly throat, stuffed nose, sneezing, and fever. Some can develop a slight cough also. Some parents ask what level of fever is dangerous? If a child’s temperature remains above 39C despite Calpol and neurofen then it's best to speak to a Doctor. But a lot depends on how the child is. If they are playing, eating and drinking, ‘peeing and pooing’ normally then they are probably ok. But a child that is not well (eg lethargic, vomiting, diarrhoea, pale, breathing problems) needs to be seen even if their temperature is normal.
CROUP: this causes a typical ‘barking’ cough (a bit like a sea lion or a dog barking) and a rasping sound when the child breathes in. It occurs because the virus causes inflammation and slight narrowing of the upper airways. It's more common in children under 5 years of age as their airways are narrower. It is usually worse at night and lasts about 2-3 days. Humidity and cool air can help. A good trick is to run a hot shower and stay with them in the steam-filled bathroom for 10-20 minutes before bedtime. Giving them some cool air by taking your child outside for a few minutes might ease things up also – wrap them up first! It may also help if they sleep a bit more upright. Severe croup is not common but if it gets worse it can cause breathing difficulties. If you find your child’s skin around the neck or under the ribs gets sucked in when they breathe in then that could be a sign that they are having difficulty and you should seek urgent medical advice.
BRONCHIOLITIS: This is a common lower respiratory tract infection and affects babies and young children under 2 years of age. It affects the smaller airways (bronchioles) whereas bronchitis affects the larger airways in older children and adults (bronchi). Bronchiolitis is usually caused by the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) which is a very common germ which most children have had by the time they reach 2 years. The first symptoms are like any other cold – runny nose, fever, stuffy nose, poor appetite, and cough. The main feature of bronchiolitis though is a wheezy wet cough. If it becomes worse children cough more and more with increased wheezing and shortness of breath. If your child has difficulty breathing, fast breathing at rest, cannot feed because of coughing or wheezing then you need to seek urgent medical help. Fortunately, most cases are mild and resolve with 1-2 weeks without the need for any treatment. Wheeze is common in both asthma and bronchiolitis. In asthma, it’s due to the airways narrowing whereas in bronchiolitis it's due to fluid build up (oedema) in the airway. Children who get recurrent bouts of bronchiolitis seem to get asthma when they get older.
Burnham Vaccination Programme:
We are continuing with our Covid vaccination programme. Our focus is moving onto boosters as many more of our patients will soon be eligible for the booster dose (6 months after their 2nd dose). These will be Pfizer vaccination irrespective of whether you have AZ or Pfizer for your primary course. You will receive a text message from the surgery when you are eligible. We will continue to add more appointments throughout the week. We expect our demand to be high over the coming weeks. If you are unable to get an appointment with Burnham, you are also able to book on the National Booking site to get an appointment at one of the mass vaccination sites such as Salt Hill. The next clinics are:
Saturday 16/10 - morning and afternoon
Saturday 23/10 - afternoon (following flu clinic in the morning)
As many of you may already know Dr. Sanjeev Mata will be retiring from the Burnham Health centre in the middle of November. I am sure he will be missed by many local patients he has helped over his long career in the NHS. We all wish him good health and happiness in whatever he does in the future.
This will be my last weekly update. I will be writing these on a monthly basis from now on. I hope they’ve been useful for many of you over the last 18 months. Thanks for all the feedback.
As always - Keep Safe Everyone
Bye for now
Dr. M Tanvir Jamil
Senior Partner
Burnham Health Centre
Young people aged 16-17 can make their appointment via the online booking service or visit a walk-in vaccination centre. For more information:
www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination.
For 12-15 years olds the vaccine will be done at schools. Consent will be needed from a parent or carer before a vaccine is given. At the moment 12-15 yr olds cannot use a vaccination walk-in centre. If your child misses the vaccine at school they will still be offered the jab at a follow-up programme.
Like all adults some children will get side effects from the vaccine – the commonest ones are soreness over the injection site, headaches, generalised aches, and mild fever which can last 2-3 days. And again just like adults, the children will be observed for 15 minutes after their jab to watch for any reactions. Most children with any sort of significant allergy are safe to have the vaccine - if in doubt do talk to your GP or practice nurse.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine does not contain any animal products or eggs and is therefore suitable for vegans, Jews, and Muslims. The British Islamic Medical Association has a useful guide: www.britishima.org
Covid is still running rife in the UK with over 1000 deaths per week. There were over 200,000 children off ill with Covid in the last 7 days. The UK now has one of the highest rates of Covid infection and death rates in Europe. Society seems to have become inured to these facts and figures. We still don’t know the long-term consequences of Covid infection on children. Many are already suffering from Long Covid. In the UK we are only relying on vaccinations – there seem to be no other significant plans in place. In Europe they still have to wear masks in some countries, many are issuing health passports for increased freedom. This is why they have the fraction of cases and deaths that we do. We can only hope it does not get worse here.
The flu season is nowhere so please do get your flu jab if you are eligible. After low levels of the flu virus, last year it's probable that many of us have low immunity against it this year and may suffer quite badly from it. That together with high levels of circulating coronavirus, cooler weather, and spending much more time mixing inside means that many people might get the flu and coronavirus together. Studies show that those infected with both viruses at the same time are twice as likely to die than if they only had coronavirus.
Please protect yourselves and your families – wear masks when you can meet in well-ventilated areas, and get the vaccine (Covid and flu) when it's due. If you become ill please get a Covid test so that you don’t spread it to others.
As well as Covid and flu there are a lot of other viruses going around with children, in particular, is affected:
The COMMON COLD – children will pick these up and other viruses on a regular basis especially if they are starting playschool, nursery, or have an older sibling that brings home the bugs. Doctors often call these ‘URTIs’ – upper respiratory tract infections. This exposure to viruses and bugs is important as this is the way we all become immune eventually. But babies and young children are meeting these bugs for the first time so it's not unusual for some to get 6-12 cold-like viruses a year. Some will last a few days, some a few weeks. Some will cause just a few glands to appear in the neck for a while and the child will be generally well. Most symptoms are often mild including a tickly throat, stuffed nose, sneezing, and fever. Some can develop a slight cough also. Some parents ask what level of fever is dangerous? If a child’s temperature remains above 39C despite Calpol and neurofen then it's best to speak to a Doctor. But a lot depends on how the child is. If they are playing, eating and drinking, ‘peeing and pooing’ normally then they are probably ok. But a child that is not well (eg lethargic, vomiting, diarrhoea, pale, breathing problems) needs to be seen even if their temperature is normal.
CROUP: this causes a typical ‘barking’ cough (a bit like a sea lion or a dog barking) and a rasping sound when the child breathes in. It occurs because the virus causes inflammation and slight narrowing of the upper airways. It's more common in children under 5 years of age as their airways are narrower. It is usually worse at night and lasts about 2-3 days. Humidity and cool air can help. A good trick is to run a hot shower and stay with them in the steam-filled bathroom for 10-20 minutes before bedtime. Giving them some cool air by taking your child outside for a few minutes might ease things up also – wrap them up first! It may also help if they sleep a bit more upright. Severe croup is not common but if it gets worse it can cause breathing difficulties. If you find your child’s skin around the neck or under the ribs gets sucked in when they breathe in then that could be a sign that they are having difficulty and you should seek urgent medical advice.
BRONCHIOLITIS: This is a common lower respiratory tract infection and affects babies and young children under 2 years of age. It affects the smaller airways (bronchioles) whereas bronchitis affects the larger airways in older children and adults (bronchi). Bronchiolitis is usually caused by the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) which is a very common germ which most children have had by the time they reach 2 years. The first symptoms are like any other cold – runny nose, fever, stuffy nose, poor appetite, and cough. The main feature of bronchiolitis though is a wheezy wet cough. If it becomes worse children cough more and more with increased wheezing and shortness of breath. If your child has difficulty breathing, fast breathing at rest, cannot feed because of coughing or wheezing then you need to seek urgent medical help. Fortunately, most cases are mild and resolve with 1-2 weeks without the need for any treatment. Wheeze is common in both asthma and bronchiolitis. In asthma, it’s due to the airways narrowing whereas in bronchiolitis it's due to fluid build up (oedema) in the airway. Children who get recurrent bouts of bronchiolitis seem to get asthma when they get older.
Burnham Vaccination Programme:
We are continuing with our Covid vaccination programme. Our focus is moving onto boosters as many more of our patients will soon be eligible for the booster dose (6 months after their 2nd dose). These will be Pfizer vaccination irrespective of whether you have AZ or Pfizer for your primary course. You will receive a text message from the surgery when you are eligible. We will continue to add more appointments throughout the week. We expect our demand to be high over the coming weeks. If you are unable to get an appointment with Burnham, you are also able to book on the National Booking site to get an appointment at one of the mass vaccination sites such as Salt Hill. The next clinics are:
Saturday 16/10 - morning and afternoon
Saturday 23/10 - afternoon (following flu clinic in the morning)
As many of you may already know Dr. Sanjeev Mata will be retiring from the Burnham Health centre in the middle of November. I am sure he will be missed by many local patients he has helped over his long career in the NHS. We all wish him good health and happiness in whatever he does in the future.
This will be my last weekly update. I will be writing these on a monthly basis from now on. I hope they’ve been useful for many of you over the last 18 months. Thanks for all the feedback.
As always - Keep Safe Everyone
Bye for now
Dr. M Tanvir Jamil
Senior Partner
Burnham Health Centre
