In preparation for the illness prone winter months, school nurses will be offering the vaccine to every pupil in years 7 and 8 for the 2014 to 2015 academic year.
The childhood flu immunisation scheme is expected to be introduced nationally in a few years, but as secondary schools in Wolverhampton are part of the pilot, local pupils and their families will be among the first in the country to benefit.
The Fluenz immunisation is a simple, painless nasal spray that will protect children against many strains of the flu virus. The spray has been used safely and effectively in the USA for more than 10 years, and last year it was introduced in the UK as a way of protecting healthy 2 and 3 year olds against the virus.
Flu can be a really serious illness, and immunising all pupils in years 7 and 8 should help stop the spread of the virus through the city's schools and from being passed on to friends and family members, some of who may be more vulnerable to its effects.
School nurses from The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust will be responsible for ensuring children receive the Fluenz spray in their schools. It is not available at local GP practices.
Councillor Sandra Samuels, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: "I'm pleased that Wolverhampton is taking part in this pilot programme which will give young people the best possible protection against flu.
"The nasal spray has been used safely in America for many years and also in the UK for the first time last year, when hundreds of thousands of younger children were successfully vaccinated."
Ros Jervis, Wolverhampton's Director of Public Health, said: "Having the vaccine will help protect children from what can be a very nasty illness and reduce the chance of others in their family getting it. It can also help parents avoid having to take time out to look after a sick child or because they have contracted flu themselves."
Dr Paul Cosford, Director for Health Protection and Medical Director at Public Health England, added: "It's important that children take up the offer of a vaccination if offered to them later in the year. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people may see their GP and tens of thousands may be hospitalised because of flu each winter."
Schools in Wolverhampton will be contacting the parents of all year 7 and 8 pupils in September to provide more details of the Fluenz vaccination.
- released: Wednesday 30 July, 2014