In light of the p redicted heavy downpours, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is advising people of the potential public health risks associated with flooding. The main risk relates to injuries caused by hidden dangers under the water such as missing manhole covers or people falling into fast flowing waters. The stress and strain of being flooded and cleaning up can also have a notable impact on mental health and wellbeing.

This week young people will be receiving their A-level results and the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding those planning to go to university for the first time to get the meningococcal vaccine. The MenACWY vaccine helps protect against meningococcal disease, which new university students are at particularly high risk of contracting in the first weeks of term, when they will come into contact with many new people of a similar age.

All babies born on or after 1 August 2017 will be offered protection against hepatitis B as part of the universal childhood immunisation programme. This is in addition to continued protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). The Hexavalent vaccine replaces the existing 5-in-1 vaccine that children routinely receive. It is already widely used with around 150 million doses having been given in 97 countries in Europe and across the world.

The Public Health Agency’s (PHA) Breastfeeding Welcome Here scheme has reached the milestone of having 500 venues signed up to the initiative which aims to provide supportive environments for breastfeeding mums. The MAC in Belfast has become the 500th member of Breastfeeding Welcome Here, and this World Breastfeeding Week (1–7 August) it joins all types of businesses, tourist venues and council facilities that are already part of the scheme.​

On World Hepatitis Day (28 July) the Public Health Agency is supporting the World Hepatitis Alliance campaign message to eliminate hepatitis. In May 2016, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) on viral hepatitis 2016–2021. This calls for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 (reducing new infections by 90% and deaths by 65%). Hepatitis B and C are responsible for 96% of all hepatitis deaths.