World Immunisation Week (24-30 April) is an opportunity for the Public Health Agency (PHA) to highlight the important role that vaccinations play in protecting society today, and that without them we would face a return to the days when diseases posed a real threat to human health. Geraldine Mallon, Immunisation Programme Manager at the PHA, said: “Getting vaccinated is the single most important thing we can do to protect our health. Vaccination starts before birth with pregnant women being offered vaccines to protect them and their unborn babies and continues after the baby is born though

A new campaign has been launched in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and help with early diagnosis. The ‘Be Cancer Aware’ campaign is running in community pharmacies this April and May as part of the Living Well service. It highlights the role of pharmacy teams in providing advice and support, and encourages people who may be experiencing possible cancer symptoms to talk to their GP. It also aims to promote healthy changes to help reduce the risk of developing cancer in the future. Dr Anna Cullen, Public Health Registrar at the

The COVID-19 spring vaccination programme gets under way on Monday 7 April, giving the more vulnerable members of our community the opportunity to top up their protection ahead of any potential waves of COVID-19 over the coming months. This year’s spring vaccine will be offered to: adults aged 75 years old or over; residents in a care home; individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a. Rachel Spiers, Immunisation and Vaccination Programme Manager at the Public Health Agency (PHA), said: “During the autumn 2024 COVID-19