Clinics inoculate 25,000 in the first week

“I’VE always said there are some advantages to being over-65,” jokes Mary Patton, administrative co-ordinator at the HSE’s swine flu clinic in Mallow, Co Cork.

The senior official has just turned away a number of elderly people after they wrongly believed they were able to receive the vaccine this week as part of the first wave of the mass swine flu inoculation plan.

“At least it shows there’s an interest,” she says, then reminds those listening that while over-65s have some immunity to swine flu due to the similarity of the virus to flu strains in the 1950s, they will be able to receive the vaccine next week.