Interviewer(s): Timothy Price
Interviewee(s): Participant 07

Timothy Price: Alright, so we'll start with the consent sheet. So this is a series of statements that I'll read to you.

And I'll have you say yes or no to each one. And I will just let you know it does start to get a little repetitive towards the end.

You know we we do what we have to do. So last just bear with me there.

So I confirm that I have read the information sheet for this study. I've had the opportunity to consider the information asked questions and I've had these questions answered satisfactorily.

Participant 07: Yeah.

Timothy Price: I understand that my participation is voluntary, and then I am free to withdraw at any time without giving any reason. I also understand that I can decline to answer any questions during the interview. Yeah.

I understand that information collected during my interview may be looked at by other researchers from Newcastle University who are working on or assisting with the study I give permission for these individuals to have access to this information.

Participant 07: Yeah.

Timothy Price: I understand the information collected during the interview may be shared with other researchers for use and future research or teaching purposes and that the data will be thoroughly anonymize first

Participant 07: Yeah.

Timothy Price: I understand that the interview will be audio video recorded typed out and that all my identifying personal details will be removed. Yes.

I understand the direct quotations may be taken from what I say and use in research and publications, but that I will not be identifiable from these quotations. Yeah.

I agree to take part in the above study

Yes. Excellent. There are just two other things here. If you would like to receive a copy of the research findings. Upon completion of this study, you can tell me that. Now, or you can email me. You know what I'm

Participant 07: Interested

Timothy Price: Yeah, absolutely. So I'll send those to the email address that we've corresponded on

And if you'd like to receive a hard copy of the study documents by mail. I'm happy to send those to you, but I would need your mailing address for that.

Participant 07: Now, that's fine enough. Great. Okay.

Timothy Price: All right, so that's that way. So we can go ahead and get started here. So you have one child. Is that right or one child in the age group?

Participant 07: That’s right, one child.

Timothy Price: Can you tell me a little bit about them. What's their name? How old are they? All that, all that good stuff.

Participant 07: He's a little boy called [Child], he is four and a bit now, due to start school in September. He was very premature and so that's something that we take into account when we're thinking about things like his health, but he hasn’t got any lasting effects from that.

Timothy Price: Okay, yeah. And how's he doing, he hasn't he hadn't started reception yet, right? So he's been home through all this?

Participant 07: Yeah, thats right.

Timothy Price: Uh huh. Oh, nice. Yeah. How has he been enjoying having everyone at home most of the time now?

Participant 07: It's been interesting. He's coped quite well with it to be, to be fair. But he was able to go back to his nursery three weeks ago and he's absolutely loving being amongst some of his peers. With him being an only child. It's a bit boring for him to be home with us all the time.

Timothy Price: Yeah, that social interaction with kids his age, I'm sure that's that's very important. I think a lot of the time for for young children, it's almost harder for the parents to adapt to the change than it is for the children.

Participant 07: Mhm

Timothy Price: So can you tell me a little bit about what you know about the flu? Sort of your first impressions when you hear the word flu, any symptoms, kind of, what do you think of when you hear the word flu?

Participant 07: And well I think flu is quite a, quite severe illness really. And I believe I've only had proper flu once. I think the word flu gets bandied around quite light heartedly sometimes when to me, proper flu is it, is a is, an illness that brings coughing, trouble breathing, kind of cold symptoms, but my experience of it was basically a week of being really, really ill. So like I say that was only once in my life. It's, it's, it's something serious and it obviously can have potential complications like pneumonia. So it's not something that I would take lightly. personally

Timothy Price: Yeah. So do you worry about [Child] getting the flu or is it something that you think is mostly a concern for adults, or can you give me a sense for that?

Participant 07: Um, I don't know whether I i would say I worry about him getting it. And I think it's probably unlikely that he's gonna get it. It is a is a seasonal thing every year, isn't it. So there is always the potential.

Timothy Price: Yeah, sure. So it sounds like what you're saying is, like, it's not something you are actively worrying about but its not something that, you know, you would ever want him to have.

Participant 07: Mhm, yeah.

Timothy Price: So can you explain to me what do you think getting sick with the flu is like specifically for children like what, what would you expect to see if your son was getting the flu?

Participant 07: I'm not, I'm not really sure whether I have an expectation of that. I assume he would present with usual cough or cold kind of symptoms, but be very ill with that for a.. Well not very ill, but more than a normal cold if that makes any sense. I don't particularly know anything really about how flu would affect a child versus how it would affect an adult. But again, like I said with with him being very premature, he was born at 29 weeks gestation, and he had chronic lung disease due to ventilation and and obviously lung immaturity. And so anything like that, although we don't believe he has any lasting complications from that, there is that little bit of that at the back of me mind going "Well, I wouldn't really want him to get something that's going to be heavy on the chest". [Inaudible]... even if [Inaudible]... speak well...[Inaudible].

Timothy Price: Yeah that makes sense why, you know, even if there's no lasting effects I can see why you wouldn't you know you wouldn't be wanting to take any chances with it.

Participant 07: Yeah, I think it's just something that kind of in the back of my mind really

Timothy Price: Yeah. So do you know anyone whose child has gotten sick with the flu, maybe like any of his friends or, you know, people that you know with children who might be around his age?

Participant 07: No, I don't think I do, to be honest.

Timothy Price: Yeah. So when you want to learn about a sickness, like the flu, where would you go to get that information

Participant 07: The NHS website.

Timothy Price: The NHS website. Are there any others that you use, or is it just straight to the NHS?

Participant 07: Just straight to the NHS. Its just, I'm fully confident in the information that will be on there and that things will be accurate. I mean, you can you can troll around the internet and find all sorts of stuff. You know, if I'm, if I'm looking for something like that. I've got to go to something that I'm sure is a trusted source.

Timothy Price: Yeah sure that that makes sense to me. Have you ever talked to [Child]'s GP about the flu or any like medical professional at all?

Participant 07: No, I don't think I have. No.

Timothy Price: Okay. So my next few questions are to help me learn my your thoughts around the flu vaccine and kind of whether or not it's something that would be beneficial for your child. So what do you think the benefits of the flu vaccine are?

Participant 07: Ah well, it, it just, it just removes some of the risk of him getting ill. I mean, obviously I am aware that that strains of flu are many and varied and that they change every year and that the flu vaccine is only going to be efffective against a percentage of those. It, it just removes some of the risk of him getting really quite ill. Bit of a no brainer for me.

Timothy Price: Yeah, absolutely. No, that does sound like a benefit. So I guess when you think about the benefits you thinking, mostly about the benefit to his health. Like, do you see any sort of other benefits or is it just straightforward. You know, he's not going to get sick, so he's going to be healthier.

Participant 07: Ah, I've probably never particularly thought much beyond that, really. I mean, that is that is my number one concern. I have, I don't really have an understanding of how things like herd immunity and reducing spread in the community can be beneficial and not beneficial to those who cant have it. Obviously I understand that thats significant with things like measles. So I assume there to be some kind of element of that with with the flu vaccine as well. But, to be perfectly honest, if you hadn't asked me the question I probably wouldn't look at it ;ole that.

Timothy Price: Yeah, no, that's, that's great to know, you know, it's, I'm just trying to figure out sort of what the, what the most important parts are so it's good to know that. You know, it makes sense to me, you think flu is serious, get the vaccine, like you said, it's kind of a no brainer.

Participant 07: Yeah.

Timothy Price: So if you want to learn about a vaccine, like whether it, you know, whether it would be beneficial for your child, whether it's something he needs, something he doesn't need, where would you go to get that information?

Participant 07: Um, I probably have an inherent trust of vaccinations and if, if the health community are advising me to have a vaccination for my child, then it's it's not it's not really something I'd look a great deal further into, I don't think. Um, if the GP, If the NHS are telling me that this is a vaccine that they advise my child to have, then I'm pretty much okay with that.

Timothy Price: Yeah.

Participant 07: I don't think I've ever actively gone and looked at any more detail beyond that, to be honest.

Timothy Price: Sure. So it sounds like what you're saying is it's just, you know, if a GP recommends it to you or if some other medical professional recommends it to you, that's kind of all the all the extra information you need to be worth it.

Participant 07: Yeah. For something to be on a on a childhood vaccination schedule, then that's gone through all kinds of levels of consideration and whether thats medical, whether thats ethical. All of those kinds of decisions, I think probably have been made by people with much more of an understanding of everything that I do. I'm lay when it comes to medicine. So I'm pretty happy to take their word for it, if that make sense.

Timothy Price: Yeah no absolutely it just sort of trust. You know, trust the medical experts, essentially, is what it sounds like you're saying.

Participant 07: yeah.

Timothy Price: So sort of related to that. Do you think there are any downsides of having your child get the flu vaccine?

Participant 07: No. No it's, it's a quick and painless thing then its over in a second. I wouldn't have expected him to have any after effects because of it and that’s whats happened, that’s whats bourne out. So no downside to it.

Timothy Price: Sure. Um, so have you ever talked to a medical professional about the flu vaccine. Specifically, kind of, how did you... I guess what I'm trying to learn here is like how did you know that [Child] could get the flu vaccine? Was that a conversation you had with someone? did you, you know, get a letter? Did you find out online?

Participant 07: It, we, I think, yeah, we had, we had a letter inviting him. Actually, this, this has made me think a bit more now because I did look into whether he could have it at a younger age. Um, sort of like the one to two year range. Yeah, kind of that range because of, because of the circumstances of birth and that was something that I did look into. So I did get in touch with his GP and asked whether that was possible. I think, I think it's only kind of children with with specific conditions and stuff like that that are eligible for that. And it turned out that he wasn't. So that that was a conversation that I had with... That would have been the GP, yeah. But as far as and when he was eligible and and I got the letter off that it was available for him. Then I didn't have any any conversation with anyone about that.

Timothy Price: Yeah. So, once you decided to have him vaccinated for the flu this year. Can you walk me through the process of what it was like. You know, to get the vaccination. Was it very simple, you just phone the GP, you had an appointment, you brought him in? Or was it, you know, a little more complicated than that?

Participant 07: No, it was, it was, it was absolutely straightforward. Got the notification through the post and gave them a call, booked an appointment, went in and then showed up for it. The nurse was, the nurse out our practice is lovely and and it was just a very quick and simple, couple of drops up the nose and he was done, got to the end of it and everything was hunky dory.

Timothy Price: Yeah, that sounds about as easy as it can get. So how important was it to you, you know, when you got that letter that said he can get this vaccine. How important was it to that he get it? Was it something that you were like picking up the phone, I'm going to ring them right now and get this appointment? Or was it something you were more like well you know if the opportunity arises will do it?

Participant 07: Ah I think I probably arranged the appointment that day.

Timothy Price: Yeah?

Participant 07: Yeah, more or less straight away. Yeah.

Timothy Price: Yeah. So it sounds like I'm just sort of based on everything that you said, I'm just trying to make sure I'm understanding you correctly, it sounds like you know you have faith in vaccination and in medical professionals. So you're, that faith kind of motivates you to seek out that protection, whenever possible, is that, does that sound accurate to you?

Participant 07: Yeah, yeah.

Timothy Price: So I do have a few other questions that you've sort of already spoken to, you've been pretty clear, but we'll just kind of go through them in case you have anything to add about them. So has has [Child] received any other vaccinations, like the childhood ones?

Participant 07: Yeah, yeah he's fully up to date with all of that.

Timothy Price: Yeah. And how did you decide for that he would have those vaccinations? Or do you feel like it even was a decision?

Participant 07: Uhm I, for me it wasn't really a decision I needed to make. It was, it was a foregone conclusion. And for me, and I did check in with what his dad thought, what is that thought at the time, and he was on the same page, so that was, was just not, not yet, not, not really a decision.

Timothy Price: Yeah, just, you know, it's recommended. It's the thing kind of that you're supposed to do. So you just sort of do it.

Participant 07: Yeah. Yeah.

Timothy Price: Have you personally had the flu vaccine this year?

Participant 07: Yes, I have. I've paid for the vaccine for quite a few years now, and my other half gets it free, because of his previous medical history. So it's something that that we've kind of done and I kind of shoehorn him to get on with it, get cracking. It, actually me, me getting the vaccine this year was more upseting for [Child] than him getting his own

Timothy Price: Oh yeah? In what way was that?

Participant 07: Well, yeah, we were, we were sitting there in, I think I got it done at the local Tesco. I was sitting there and he was, he was on my knee and he saw the needle coming towards my arm, and it really, really scared him. Like "wow! Dont worry, they're sticking it in me not you!"

Timothy Price: Well, it's nice that he was, he was looking out for you didn't, didn't want anybody getting any injections that day. So he when he was vaccinated, he had the nasal spray, Is that right?

Participant 07: Yeah

Timothy Price: So do you think that him having a nasal spray. Like, do you think it would have been kind of a more difficult experience for you and for him if he had needed to get an injection or do you think, you know, what do you think had the setting been a little different?

Participant 07: Ah I think, I think he would still get freaked out, a bit freaked out more than he did with the nasal spray but that would have been very quickly. And again, that wouldn't stop me, yeah.

Timothy Price: Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, so I can imagine that as a parent, when your child needs an injection. You know you it's unpleasant for them, of course, but you sort of know that now in 20 minutes. They're going to be fine. They will have forgotten about this whole situation.

Participant 07: Right, right. Yeah.

Timothy Price: Yeah, but that's nice that you had the nasal spray so that you could sort of avoid that whole, that whole episode. So that's all the questions that I have. So kind of what I like to close with is just asking, is there anything else. That you'd like to say about the flu or the flu vaccine or vaccination in general just anything that I didn't ask that you were hoping you could speak to

Participant 07: And I don't think so. I mean, the possibly, the only other relevant bit of information really is that my mum's a nurse. So I've grown up around hospitals and around, you know, that. And so I think that is quite a big part in my thinking about how much trust in, in the institutions and that's the only other thing, right.

Timothy Price: Yeah, no, that's interesting. So you think just because you've been, you know, sort of, since since you were young exposed to kind of people who people who had faith in medicine, you know, as a nurse, of course. She of course has faith in medicine.

Participant 07: Yeah.

Timothy Price: So you think that it was sort of something that it was the environment you grew up in that sort of instilled those values and you?

Participant 07: Yeah, yeah, that's how it said i think that's that's probably the reason that it. It wasn't even a decision to make is that that's, that's what I know. That's what I brought up with that and I've never had any reason, despite being through some interesting medical situations. I've never had any reason to lose that bit of faith.

Timothy Price: Yeah, absolutely. Let's that that is good to know that provide some context. So thank you. Um, so unless there's anything else that you wanted to talk about. I'm going to go ahead and stop the recording now.