´óÏó´«Ã½

A mother of a three-year-old boy has described the terrible moments when he got flu last winter.

Claire Sumner, 41, from Leeds, said her son Noah suddenly went downhill one night and started thrashing around in bed as his temperature soared.

"I was worried about meningitis or that he would start having convulsions. It was awful," she recalled.

Claire was reliving her concerns as English health officials launch an expanded winter flu jab campaign.

The vaccination programme starts this week - and this year it will be extended to children in school year three (seven and eight-year-olds).

She said that at one point that night she almost took Noah to hospital, but once she had got his temperature down she waited for an emergency appointment with a GP the following day.

Flu was diagnosed and Noah, who was two at the time, eventually started getting better.

"It took him three weeks to get over it," Claire said. "There were times when he was really lethargic and off his food. You just don't expect children to get flu like that."

She said this year she will make sure he gets the flu jab along with his older brother Oliver.

The expanded campaign means there are four million children eligible this year for the vaccination, which is given to them via a nasal spray rather than an injection.

Chief medical officer Prof Dame Sally Davies said: "Flu can be much more dangerous for children than many parents realise and when children get flu they tend to spread it around the whole family.

"Every year thousands of children have flu and it is not uncommon for them to be admitted to hospital."

The vaccination is also offered to the over 65s, and those in at-risk groups such as people with long-term conditions such as diabetes and respiratory problems, and pregnant women.

The launch of the vaccination campaign will be accompanied by a TV, radio and online advertising push encouraging people to get immunised.

Only half of school-aged children eligible for the vaccination got it last year and around a third of two to four-year-olds.

Over-65s had the best uptake - nearly three-quarters received it, while for pregnant women and at-risk groups it was under half.