The Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging people aged 70 and 78 to take up the invitation to get the shingles vaccine. The vaccine will help protect against this common and painful disease and its complications. Each year in Northern Ireland around 1,000 people in their seventies will get shingles. The shingles vaccine will be offered routinely to people who are aged 70 years on 1 September 2018 (born between 2 September 1947 and 1 September 1948 inclusive); and as part of a catch-up programme for those aged 78 on 1 September (born between 2 September 1939 and 1 September 1940 inclusive)

During National Eye Health Week (24 to 30 September) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding everyone to have their eyes tested every two years and to be aware of the importance of good eye health and the steps to take to protect your vision. Dr Jackie McCall, Consultant in Public Health at the PHA, said: “Over 50% of sight loss is preventable, so ensuring that we all have regular eye examinations will help prevent, or limit, the damage caused by certain eye conditions. “Regular sight checks are important for two reasons. Firstly, having your vision corrected can improve the quality of day

With one in five over 55s having had a fall at home, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is working in partnership with councils across Northern Ireland during Falls Prevention Awareness Week to raise awareness of the measures we can take at home to prevent falls. Hilary Johnston, Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager with the PHA, said: “Falls can have a very serious impact, resulting in pain and injury, and in some cases even death. Falls continue to be the leading cause of accidental deaths at home with the incidence of falling increasing as people get older. The Health Survey Northern

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging students to be aware of the importance of looking after their mental health, as the new academic year gets underway. Fiona Teague Health Improvement Manager with the PHA, said: “This month marks an exciting time for many young people as they head off to college or university. It can also be a huge period of change for those starting a new course and perhaps living away from home for the first time. “Most of us go to university or college hoping that it will lead to a good job in the future. In the shorter term, students are usually focused on

More than 150,000 tablets have been disposed of through the Public Health Agency’s (PHA) RAPID initiative which is helping to remove prescription and illegal drugs from our streets. The RAPID (Remove All Prescription and Illegal Drugs) scheme provides drug disposal bins to facilitate the disposal of unwanted drugs easily and discreetly. Kelly Gilliland, Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager at the PHA, said: “The RAPID initiative provides a safe way for anyone to dispose of drugs whether they are prescribed or illegal, and as part of ‘Bring Back Your Unused Medications Week’ (17-23

During adverse weather many people can experience a range of situations associated with the extreme weather such as cold and freezing temperatures, no electricity or mains water and flooding. The Public Health Agency (PHA) has compiled public health information to assist the public in these situations. Support networks for those affected by the adverse weather Keeping warm during adverse weather Carbon monoxide poisoning Advice if flooding occurs Using emergency water supplies Water advice following restoration Looking after vulnerable and elderly neighbours Severe weather warnings The Met

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is calling on parents of pre-school and primary school children to get their kids vaccinated against flu. This will help protect not only them but also those around them, particularly older grandparents or relations with an underlying health condition. Children in particular can increase the spread of the flu virus in the community, but vaccination helps curb this. Last year, seasonal flu activity was the highest seen since the 2009 pandemic, with 119 cases of flu in intensive care/ high dependency units (ICU/HDU) – more than twice as many as the previous year –

The health service, policy makers and the public will benefit from a €2 million, all-island, investment to improve ways of gathering and combining evidence (known as evidence synthesis) and using it effectively to inform health and health care decisions. Evidence synthesis is a structured process where relevant information on a topic is gathered, reviewed, assessed and brought together to support evidence-informed policy and/or practice decisions. This new initiative, Evidence Synthesis Ireland, will be funded for three years by the Research and Development Division of the Public Health Agency