The interim Chief Medical Officer Professor Mary Horgan and Chief Nursing Officer Rachel Kenna are urging people to top up their protection against flu and COVID-19 by getting vaccinated.
They made their appeal as they each received their flu and COVID-19 vaccines alongside healthcare workers at a staff vaccination clinic at St James’s Hospital in Dublin, recently.
This year’s Health Service Executive (HSE) Winter vaccination programme provides flu and COVID-19 vaccines free of charge to recommended groups, including those aged 60 and over, healthcare workers, anyone who is pregnant and people with a long-term health condition.
Children aged two to 17 years can receive a free nasal spray flu vaccine.
Both vaccines are available from participating GPs and pharmacies and are also available to healthcare workers at vaccination clinics in many workplaces.
From the time the vaccines are administered, it takes approximately two weeks for their protective effect to kick in, so there is still time for people to get vaccinated now and be protected before the respiratory virus season reaches its peak.
