Flu vaccine uptake by people aged over 65 reaches 62%
There has been a 62% uptake of the flu vaccine by people aged over 65 years this year, it has emerged.
The HSE’s assistant national director of health protection, Kevin Kelleher, has described the uptake of the vaccine by older people as “very good.”
Dr Kelleher also said that there had been a “massive” increase the number of vaccines given out by the health authority.
“We bought just under 1.2m vaccines. We distributed just under 1.1m vaccines so far,” he said.
At the end of October, 45% of healthcare workers in acute hospitals had received the vaccine, compared to 39% last year.
Vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in long-term care facilities had reached 38%, compared to 33% last year.
There have been 186 people admitted to hospital with flu and while nine have been admitted to intensive care, there have been no deaths.
Dr Kelleher said Ireland had not yet entered the flu season.
Both Northern Ireland and Britain have, with official figures showing early circulation rates of the flu virus.
HSE national director of acute operations, Liam Woods, said there was increased pressure on hospital emergency departments and on ambulances being released from EDs.
“It is something that is closely monitored," he said.
There are escalation procedures in place around delay both within the ED and the wider hospital and, indeed, the hospital group.
Mr Woods said attendances in some hospital EDs had increased by 6% year-on-year.
The health authority is focusing on reducing patients who have finished their acute care and the number has fallen from a peak of 776 in August to 659 this week.
