Shingles can be very painful and in some cases cause serious complications. That’s why the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding all those eligible to get the free shingles vaccine if they haven’t done so already. The vaccine will help protect against this common and painful skin disease and its associated complications.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is advising pregnant women, and those planning pregnancy, to consider avoiding travel to areas where Zika virus outbreaks are reported. Zika outbreaks have been reported in a number of countries in central and south America and all travellers to the affected countries should ensure they seek travel health advice from their GP or a travel clinic well in advance of their trip.

At least one in three of us will get cancer, and with an increasing number of cases each year in Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is using World Cancer Day (4 February) to raise awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer and encourage people to speak to their GP if they experience any of them.

*** CALL FOR ABSTRACTS IS NOW CLOSED *** The Public Health Agency and Partners will be hosting the fifth Public Health Annual Scientific Conference in June. The theme of the Conference will be “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It will focus on the economic case for prevention and the health benefits of public health interventions for our population.

The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and Public Health Agency (PHA) want to hear about your experiences to help shape how care is delivered in Northern Ireland. 10,000 Voices is a PHA initiative which gives people an opportunity to provide feedback on their experiences of accessing Health and Social Care services by asking for members of the public to ‘tell us their story’.

Sunscreen is one holiday essential that often gets left behind when people pack for a winter holiday, so the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Cancer Focus Northern Ireland are reminding travellers not to forget about sunscreen during their half term get-away, whether they’re heading for the slopes or the beach.