Vaccine uptake rising as flu cases surge

Getting the vaccine is “an absolute no-brainer", says pharmacist Brian O’Donoghue. With flu cases higher than usual this time of year and expecting to peak around Christmas, health specialists all over the country strongly advise getting the vaccine.

“In the space of five days, we’ve had 342 flu cases in Virginia, 82 in Killinkere and 54 in Cross,” revealed Virginia pharmacist O’Donoghue, quoting the most recent figures for the East Cavan area. Flu activity in Ireland is at a high level, with case and hospitalisation numbers both rising rapidly in the last week, according to new data from the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).

The highest number of cases this winter to date was recorded in those aged 65 years and older and less than 15 years, but flu cases are increasing in all age groups this season. There were 2,944 flu cases reported last week - an increase of 49%, compared to 1,971 cases reported the previous week. Over the same period, there were 1,622 flu Emergency Department (ED) cases reported – an increase of 55%, compared to 1072.

Meanwhile, the clinical director of Ireland's largest paediatric hospital Children’s Health Ireland has said, the level of virus now circulating is “unprecedented”. Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Dr Ike Okafor said: “In terms of pre-Christmas influenza, this is the first time that it has hit us this bad. That has put a lot of pressure on us.”

Dr Okafor, a consultant in paediatric emergency medicine, said by Friday paediatric emergency departments were “full”, largely due to the flu virus. Ordinary beds had been converted to ICU beds and planned procedures had been moved. In so-called silver huddle meetings between managers and clinicians, contingency plans for more capacity had been discussed.

This Monday past, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation highlighted that there were 23 people on trolleys in Cavan General Hospital. INMO has been reporting the number of patients on trolleys in Emergency Departments after the decision that these patients require hospital admission has been made since 2004 - raising awareness about the lack of service. Throughout the year, the number for Cavan rarely rose above 13 trolleys – a count from last week.

“If we all got the vaccine, we’d be grand,” says Brian O’Donoghue. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) informed that to date this season, 73% of ICU admissions due to flu had not received the current seasonal influenza vaccine. While the vaccine uptake from children aged two to 17 years is higher than last year with 21.0% as opposed to 17.7%, the aimed target of more than 50% is not even close to be met.

“I’d recommend every person to get the flu and Covid vaccine every September to be ahead of the flu activity,” he says. And even though it is already December he still urges people to come in: “Flu season runs into March.” At the same time, he is appeasing thoughts of getting sick from the vaccine: “You might get a sore arm, a bit of irritation, but you won’t get the flu from it.” For children, nasal spray vaccines are free and hasslefree.

In recent days, Peter Veale from Cavan Town has seen a massive uptake in the vaccine: “It has definitely increased in the past days.” So much so, that Veale’s Allcare Pharmacy is currently waiting for new batches to arrive with people ringing on a daily basis to see if the vaccine is in stock. “It takes about two weeks to be effective, but it is still worth getting,” he says.

Flu vaccination significantly reduces hospitalisations by preventing severe illness and lowering the risk of serious complications.