Plans to introduce flu jabs to under-fives have been welcomed by a health watchdog.

The NHS is considering a programme, through GPs and trained healthcare staff, to give healthy children, aged from six months to five-years-old, vaccinations against swine flu.

Zuffar Haq, a member of watchdog Leicester Mercury Patients' Panel, said: "It's good news to hear the NHS trusts in Leicester and the county are already making arrangements to ensure a vaccination programme is in place.

"It's important that people have this chance to protect their children from swine flu. I saw it myself in hospital recently, where children were suffering with the symptoms of swine flu, and it is clearly very distressing for them.

"But it can be avoidable with the help of this vaccine. So I look forward to hearing what arrangements have been made."

People who qualify as phase one patients – the at-risk priority group – are receiving the inoculations around the city and county.

Parents are being asked to wait until they are invited to attend a vaccination session at their local GP or health centre.