The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging all people eligible for the free flu vaccine who have not yet been vaccinated to get it now. Flu has recently started to circulate in Northern Ireland , so people should receive the vaccine before it spreads more widely. The sooner you get it, the better protected you will be. Parents of pre-school children are urged to maximise protection for their children against flu, which can be a serious illness, by getting them the nasal spray vaccine. Those aged 65 and over, under the age of 65 with underlying health conditions, and pregnant women are also more

The Public Health Agency (PHA), in partnership with councils in Northern Ireland, is urging everyone to identify factors that can increase the risk of falls, and take steps to prevent them from occurring this winter. Falls can have a very serious impact, resulting in pain and injury, and in some cases even death, so it is important to take measures to help prevent them happening. Hilary Johnston, Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager with the PHA, said: “A fall can have a huge impact on a person both mentally and physically. This can include pain, injury, distress, loss of confidence

Have you used the Regional HSC Hospital Passport? If so, we would like to hear your views and experiences. Information below.

With the festive party season getting into full flow, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is on hand with some helpful advice and some safer drinking tips, if you choose to drink alcohol. Many of us over-indulge at Christmas, but overdoing it with alcohol could seriously damage your health. Michael Owen, the PHA’s lead for Drugs and Alcohol, said: “Many of us like to have a drink at Christmas and we’re not saying people shouldn’t, but it’s important that we enjoy ourselves safely. “Many people do not realise that alcohol is a powerful drug and we need to be careful how we use it. Drinking too much

Pharmacies here are stepping up their efforts to help keep antibiotics working in the fight against antibiotic resistance. More than 500 community pharmacies are taking part in the Living Well service, which provides information and advice on key public health issues. Living Well is a Public Health Agency (PHA), Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI) collaboration, with the current phase of the campaign focussing on getting the best advice on antibiotics. Dr Jenny Mack, Public Health Doctor at the PHA, said: “We use more antibiotics than we need to and because

Ahead of World AIDS Day (1 December) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging everyone to practise safer sex and get tested early if they have put themselves at risk. A new report from the PHA shows that there are 1,130 people in Northern Ireland living with HIV. The ‘HIV surveillance in Northern Ireland 2019’ report also shows that 84 new first-UK cases of HIV were diagnosed here in 2018. The report provides analysis of the HIV data for Northern Ireland in 2018 and trends over the years. Dr Claire Neill, Specialty Registrar in Public Health at the PHA, said: “The report shows a four

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging everyone who is eligible to receive the free flu vaccine to make arrangements to get it to maximise their protection against the virus over winter. The call comes as the agency’s latest flu bulletin, [11 November—24 November 2019] published today, shows that there has been an increase in flu-like illnesses. The PHA is also highlighting the importance of hand hygiene and self-care when preventing and managing illness to reduce the spread of infection. The latest figures from the PHA, although low, do show that people consulting their GP with flu or flu