A NURSE who cares for some of Northern Ireland’s most critically ill children has backed a Public Health Agency (PHA) call for everyone who is eligible to get the flu vaccine.
Former Miss Northern Ireland Katharine Walker, a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, said: “When you look after some of the most vulnerable patients, you want to do everything you can to protect them and make sure that they receive the best care.
"Any type of illness could prove fatal for children and adults with a serious health condition, which is why it is so important that we follow steps to reduce any risk to them.
“Flu is one of those things that can prove a big threat, but thankfully a vaccine is available every year to help reduce the risk from the virus. Unfortunately, not enough people who are eligible to receive the flu jab actually get it, and that includes health and care workers, so I am urging everyone who can avail of the free vaccination to take five minutes out of their day to help protect themselves and those around them.”
As part of the annual flu vaccination programme, people aged over 65, those under 65 with an underlying health condition, pregnant women, and health and care workers can get a quick, free jab.
Pre-schoolers aged two-to-four and primary school children can get the vaccine in the form of a simple spray up the nose – parents of younger kids can arrange it through their GP surgery, while schoolchildren will get a consent form sent home that parents will need to complete for them to get the vaccine at school.
Dr Jillian Johnston, consultant in Health Protection at the PHA and regional lead for flu, explained: “Each year the strains of flu in circulation change, so a new vaccine is formulated to reflect this. That is why it is so important that everyone who falls into an eligible category gets the vaccine annually – if you got it last year, it won’t cover you for this year’s flu season."
:: For more information on the flu vaccine, as well as other ways to stay well this winter, visit www.nidirect.gov.uk/stay-well
