The Nottinghamshire scheme advises pupils to encourage vulnerable relatives and friends, such as the elderly, to have the vaccination.

People who suffer diabetes are also being advised to ask for the jab.

Health officials hope it will boost the number of people coming forward. In 2004 the Ashfield Primary Care Trust failed to reach its flu jab targets.

Carers eligible

Part of the scheme involves a competition in which the children draw a picture of what they think the flu bug looks like.

Nicky Bird, from Ashfield Primary Care Trust, said: "Usually we concentrate on everyone who is over 65 years of age.

"But there are also other people who need the vaccine who are equally as important.

"We want to get the message through to people who have kidney and liver problems and to diabetics, people with heart problems and also people who do a lot of the caring work.

"It is very important they have the flu vaccine so they aren't struck down with the flu themselves."

Helen Durness, public health manager at the trust, said: "Children are really interested in what makes them unwell and how they might have things to make them better.

"They're very protective of those people in their family and trying to prevent them becoming ill."