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MMuslim parents refuse to allow their children to take part in a national influenza vaccination campaign after the Muslim Council of Britain decided that the treatment was banned by Islam.
Public health officials have expressed concern over the number of Muslim children expected to be removed from a major program that is expected to begin in schools next month.
For the first time in England, all children in good health and age to go to primary school will be offered a nasal spray vaccine to protect people of all ages from the virus.
But Muslim parents across the country have been informed that the Fluenz spray is not allowed because it contains pork gelatin, considered impure.
In some places, the "vast majority" of Muslim parents have promised to remove their children from the program, community leaders said.
Tonight, the Royal College of Public Health said the situation "increased the risk of a major flu epidemic" and urged the government to offer a halal alternative vaccine acceptable to Muslims.
Since 2013, the nasal spray vaccine has been introduced gradually in healthy children, starting with children in kindergarten. There is an injectable alternative without gelatin, but it is only available to children at higher risk.
The program has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of influenza cases. From August, the Fluenz spray will be offered to all children aged two to ten years.
However, Public Health England documents reviewed by the Telegraph reveal that the participation rate in Muslim areas has already been "significantly below average".
"Vaccine uptake is significantly and independently badociated with growing deprivation, ethnicity and areas where the largest Muslim populations live," the document says.
In the whole of England, the document adds, the most common reason for refusal from parents was "the vaccine contains pork gelatin".
"Religion is an important area for public health efforts to further reduce the gap between these populations and grbadroots groups," he said.
NHS England urged Muslim parents to consider making an exception, as the vaccine may be "seen as different from the food intake".
But the Muslim Council of Britain told the Telegraph that it advised imams to tell parents that Fluenz "is not acceptable in Islam".
Dr. Shuja Shafi, Chair of the MCB Research and Documentation Committee, said: "We have consulted the specialists and here is their point of view, since then we have been providing people with the information they need to to make an opinion.
"We need another halal vaccine that can be offered to all, and we urge the government and the industry to make that happen."
Azhar Ali, head of the Lancashire County Council Labor Group, said the "vast majority" of Muslim parents in his county were considering taking their children out of the program.
"Many mosques have argued that this vaccine is not halal, so children should not use it," he said.
"It puts children at risk, in my opinion. I think the government needs to find a way to come up with an alternative. Otherwise, we could end up with a serious problem. "
Jewish leaders have already decided that the vaccine was allowed because pork gelatin was not eaten.
Last year, the Vegetarian Society called the Fluenz Spray "disruptive", without advising parents to withdraw their consent.
The government insisted that the gelatin be purified to the point that it no longer contains traces of pork DNA.
Targeting children with the vaccine is considered particularly important because they are "super-propagators" that transmit the disease to vulnerable people, such as the elderly. Last year, the number of winter deaths in England peaked at 42 years.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunization at PHE, said: "We strongly support the Influenza Influenza Program, which uses the nasal spray vaccine to protect children and the wider influenza community.
"We know that the acceptability of the nasal spray remains a concern in some communities and we have discussed it with the Muslim Council and other religious groups.
"Our first priority is to ensure that vaccines are safe and effective, and PHE recommends acceptable replacement vaccines where we believe they will perform equally well.
"EPS encourages parents to seek advice from their confession or other community leaders to inform them of their decision to vaccinate or not to vaccinate their child."
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