At-risk groups urged to get flu vaccine

AN APPEAL for at-risk groups to get the flu vaccine if they have not already done so has been issued by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

There was a major rise in people presenting with flu-like illnesses to GPs and out-of-hours services, a statement on the executive’s website said yesterday.

The swine flu H1N1 virus was, as expected, the predominant virus in this winter’s annual flu season, the statement said.

Protection against H1N1 was included in this year’s normal seasonal flu vaccine, it added.

The H1N1 virus mainly affects younger people, those with pre-existing medical conditions as well as pregnant or recently pregnant women, the statement said.

Pregnant women had been routinely offered seasonal flu vaccines since September.

The HSE statement advised people with long-term health conditions, people aged 65 and over, carers of these groups,and healthcare workers to get the flu vaccine from their GP.

A large number of people in Ireland would already be immune to the virus because they had swine flu or received the vaccine last year, the HSE statement added.