Students who have just finished their A-levels and are planning to go to university are being encouraged by the Public Health Agency (PHA) to get a vaccine that can help protect against meningitis and septicaemia.

The MenACWY vaccine helps protect against meningococcal disease, which new university students are at particularly high risk of contracting in the first weeks of term, when they will come into contact with many new people of a similar age.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Northern Ireland’s Drug and Alcohol Coordination Teams (NIDACTs) are urging people to keep an eye on their alcohol intake as they kick start Alcohol Awareness Week (19–25 June), emphasising the importance of knowing your units, the recommended weekly limit (to minimise risks) and the effects that alcohol can have on your health and your safety.

Kelly Gilliland, Health Improvement Manager at the PHA, said: “Many of us enjoy a drink when at home or out with friends, but what many of us don’t realise is that alcohol is a powerful drug and we need to be careful how we use it. Drinking too much can seriously affect our health.

New nutritional standards have been developed to make the food on offer for staff and visitors in hospital restaurants and cafes healthier.

People are increasingly eating meals and snacks outside of their home meaning that settings such as restaurants, coffee shops and takeaways businesses can impact on the quality of the food we eat by the choices they offer. Due to the rising levels of obesity and the associated negative impacts on health and well-being of the population in Northern Ireland, it is essential to promote and provide healthier alternatives.

The Public Health Agency has set out the next steps in the process for developing and tendering the Lifeline crisis response service, following the decision by the Department of Health to approve plans for its future.

Following public consultation and approval from the Department of Health, the Public Health Agency Corporate Plan 2017-2021 is now finalised and available.