Influenza can be serious – get your free vaccine if eligible this Winter

Call comes as over 4,000 were hospitalised with flu last year

This year’s winter vaccination campaign commences on Monday 6 October and the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding everyone that respiratory illnesses such as flu, COVID-19 and RSV can be serious, even for some healthy people.

Last year 862 children and young people, and 3,158 people aged 18 and over, were hospitalised with influenza in Northern Ireland. Of those 2,922 were as an emergency hospital admission.

Dr Joanne McClean, Director of Public Health at the PHA, is urging everyone in the eligible groups to get ready for winter by taking up the offer of free vaccination when invited.

“Flu is not just a heavy cold – it has much more severe symptoms and can be fatal, so shouldn’t be taken lightly. We see it every year, usually in the winter, which is why it’s sometimes called seasonal flu. It’s a highly infectious disease with symptoms that come on very quickly. A bad bout of flu can be serious, even in an otherwise healthy individual, so it is really important that anyone who is eligible for the free flu jab gets vaccinated when invited, even if they consider themselves or their children to be in good health.”

This year the flu vaccine is being offered to:

• all adults aged 65 years and over;
• people aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as laid out in the Immunisation Green Book influenza chapter (Green Book);
• pregnant women;
• residents and staff in care homes;
• all health and social care workers;
• all preschool children aged two to four years on 1 September 2025;
• all primary and secondary school children (up to and including year 12);
• carers;
• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals.

Dr McClean added: “Flu spreads more easily in winter because we spend more time indoors with others, and it can be particularly serious for individuals in an ‘at-risk’ group, including those over 65, people with underlying health conditions and pregnant women. But you can reduce your chances of developing serious complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia or being hospitalised by getting vaccinated.

“In addition to those at greatest risk, we also know that health and social care workers are more likely to be exposed to these viruses as they go about their work in caring for people, so they are also being offered the vaccine to help protect them against serious illness. If you are vaccinated and still unlucky enough to catch flu this winter, you are likely to have milder symptoms and recover faster. It also means that you will reduce your risk of bringing the flu home from work, in addition to helping to protect your colleagues and people in your care.

“Children aged from two up to those in Year 12 of school are also being offered the free flu vaccine. In addition to helping to reduce the risk of spread of flu to vulnerable friends and family, vaccinating your child will also help protect them – last season, in children aged 2 to 17 years, having the flu vaccine was effective in reducing their chance of hospitalisation by over 60%. For kids, the vaccine is delivered through a quick, painless spray up the nose.

“So, the bottom line is, if you’re in an eligible group for any of the winter vaccines, it’s for a reason, so I would really urge you to get vaccinated to help protect yourself and those close to you.”

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: “My department is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19, influenza and RSV through vaccination. We should all play our part again this winter to look after ourselves and support the health service. I would encourage all those who are eligible to take up the offer of vaccination when invited to do so. This will help to keep themselves safe, as well as helping to reduce the burden of illness on our health system.”

Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Michael McBride said: “Vaccination remains the best form of defence against severe illness and hospitalisation from COVID-19 and influenza for those in eligible groups. Protection of these groups remains the priority for the programmes. If you are in one of the eligible groups, please take up the offer of vaccination when invited to do so to protect yourself.” 

COVID-19 vaccine

This season’s COVID-19 vaccination programme is a targeted offer to those at highest risk of serious disease. This brings the eligible groups in line with the spring COVID-19 offering. Last year COVID-19 contributed to 97 deaths and caused 30 care home outbreaks.

The COVID-19 vaccination will be offered to:

• adults aged 75 years and over;
• residents in care homes for older adults;
• individuals who are immunosuppressed, aged 6 months and over.

The vaccine should usually be offered no earlier than around six months after the last vaccine dose. Those who are eligible can get protection from vaccination this time round even if they have not taken up a COVID-19 vaccine offer in the past.

Having flu and COVID-19 at the same time can be very serious for people who are immunosuppressed. The COVID-19 vaccines have good safety records and are effective. It gives those at highest risk of serious disease the best protection against COVID-19.

RSV vaccine

RSV is a common and highly infectious respiratory virus that affects the breathing system, particularly in young children and older adults. RSV infections often lead to mild cold-like symptoms, but in some cases, especially in infants and individuals with compromised immune systems, it can cause severe respiratory issues and hospitalisation. Last year 511 infants under the age of one were hospitalised with RSV.

The RSV vaccination was introduced to help protect newborns and infants through the vaccination of pregnant women from 28 weeks into their pregnancy. Adults are also offered the RSV vaccination once they turn 75.

The RSV vaccine is available all year round, so it’s not just a winter vaccine.

Vaccine programme arrangements

Given that the three vaccination programmes will be running at the same time, with slightly different delivery arrangements and eligible groups for each, the PHA is urging people to work with our health service, whether it is the school nursing service, your GP surgery, community pharmacy or another route of vaccination, so that the programmes can be delivered in a timely and well-managed way.

Some people may be offered the flu jab and COVID-19 vaccine at the same appointment. It is safe and effective to receive them in this way.

Everyone who is eligible for vaccination should make themselves aware of their own GP surgery’s, community pharmacist’s or trust’s vaccination arrangements, or look out for the consent form for their children coming home in schoolbags.

Respiratory hygiene

In addition to eligible people getting vaccinated, everyone has a part to play in staying well this winter:

• ‘Catch it. Bin it. Kill it’ – carry tissues and use them to catch coughs or sneezes, then bin the tissue;
• Wash your hands – regularly wash your hands throughout the day and hands should always be washed before eating or drinking and after using the toilet;
• Rest up – know when to stay home to stop the spread. If you have a high temperature stay home until you feel better or if you have diarrhoea and/or vomiting, you should stay home for at least 48 hours after the last episode;
• Speak to your pharmacist about over-the-counter remedies and remember antibiotics don't work on viruses.

Dr McClean concluded: “The flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines are free and could make a big difference to your health, and the health of those closest to you. It is really important that ‘at risk’ groups are vaccinated as they can develop severe illness and complications if infected.

“The message is clear – don’t let your protection fade this winter if you’re eligible for either the flu vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine or RSV vaccine.”

Further details on the winter vaccination programme can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk/wintervaccines

View information on the RSV vaccine for pregnant women at www.publichealth.hscni.net/RSV-pregnancy

View information on the RSV vaccine for adults at www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/your-guide-rsv-vaccine-older-adults