Children under two years are significantly more at risk of serious illness from influenza if they have older brothers or sisters, new research has shown. The flu virus spreads through the air when people cough and sneeze without covering their nose and mouth. With children of all ages mixing at parent and toddler groups, in day nurseries and at childminders, and because young children don’t always cover their noses or mouths when coughing or sneezing the virus can spread very quickly among them.

Lifeline is Northern Ireland’s 24/7 crisis support service for people in distress or despair.

This European Antibiotics Awareness Day [18 November] the importance of responsible antibiotic use is being highlighted across the health and agriculture sectors. The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) have teamed up to call on health professionals, veterinary practitioners, industry and the public to make better use of antibiotics and preserve them for their most important use – serious bacterial infections.

This year’s flu vaccination programme is now under way, and has received the backing of Nurse of The Year Siobhan Rogan, who is highlighting the importance of the flu vaccine particularly for ‘at risk’ groups and healthcare workers.

Vaginal mesh surgery is one of several ways to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). For many women experiencing the distressing symptoms of SUI and POP, surgical procedures using vaginal mesh have provided an effective form of treatment, which is less invasive than alternative surgical procedures. There is published evidence to suggest good outcomes for several procedures using vaginal mesh, over the periods studied, but complications are also recognised.

November is Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month and the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding everyone as the temperature drops and people turn up the heat to be aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO poisoning can kill and in the winter months, when people use their heating appliances more frequently, there are often more incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning. To minimise the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning the PHA recommends the following:

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is providing almost £500,000 additional funding for suicide prevention and mental health promotion in the Belfast area. £300,000 of this is being been invested directly through the community and voluntary sector in the city. “The additional funding is to address demands in all areas of Belfast,” said Séamus Mullen, the PHA’s Head of Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement in the Belfast and South Eastern area.

Stress doesn’t just make you feel bad – it can also be bad for your health. The good news is there are measures you can take to deal with it. The Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging those experiencing stress to participate in stress control classes which it is funding and are being delivered by Health and Social Care Trusts across Northern Ireland. Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure, and pressure turns into stress when you feel unable to cope.

With winter upon us, many people will inevitably pick up sniffles, sore throats and colds, and get infections. But what’s the difference between a viral infection and a bacterial infection and how can both be treated? Dr Lorraine Doherty, Assistant Director of Public Health (Health Protection) at the Public Health Agency, explains: “As the names suggest, viral infections are caused by viruses, bacterial infections by bacteria. Antibiotics are effective only against bacterial infections – they cannot help you recover from infections caused by viruses.