Mother of four-year-old who nearly died of flu urges people to get vaccinated
Maryam Sheiakh told Granada Reports people should get a flu jab
The mother of a four-year-old girl who thought her daughter was going to die of flu is warning others to get vaccinated this winter.
Maryam Sheiakh's daughter, Saffy, spent more than a week in the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital after being admitted with a high temperature and a cough.
She was taken to a High Dependency Unit (HDU) where she as given oxygen as she was struggling to breathe.
Maryam said: "I was very overwhelmed and tired. I though this is really serious and when she was moved onto HDU I was wondering 'what's going to happen to my child?'
"I was distraught, I really thought I was going to lose my child, I thought she might die from this.
"I wondered about her breathing difficulties and getting oxygen to the brain I wondered if it would leave some kind of brain damage. Would she be the same girl before she got ill?
"I was very fortunate that was not the case."
Maryam is now warning others to get a flu vaccination for themselves and their child.
She said: "Go and get it done, don't take the risk. It offers that extra level of protection and to reduce hospital admissions."
Dr Paddy McMaster, Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at North Manchester General Hospital, said that in his career he has seen many children very ill with flu.
He said: “I see the children who are either the sickest or at risk of being very sick with infections such as influenza and COVID-19.
“Every winter is difficult for us. We have so many admissions coming to hospital. It's so stressful seeing a young child having difficulty breathing and needing to give them support with a mask on the face."
He added that when young children catch flu they are more likely to be hospitalised than any other group saying: “I’ve seen how devastating flu can be first hand."
Dr Helen Wall, Clinical Director Population Health for Greater Manchester, says flu numbers are the worst she has seen in career.
The flu vaccine is available to children aged two and three at their GP surgery, and primary school children are offered it at school.
Children of all ages who have an underlying health condition that makes them more vulnerable to flu can get the vaccine.
Dr Helen Wall, a GP and immunisations lead, said: “Saffy’s story is a stark reminder about how dangerous flu can be for young children.
"We are relatively early in the flu season, and we have already seen dozens of children hospitalised across Greater Manchester.
“All of that can be avoided with the flu vaccination for children."
Dr Helen Wall urges everyone who is eligible for the flu vaccination to get it.
More information about the flu vaccine can be found on the NHS website.
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