Not so sweet: HSE boss defends chocolate for nurses who get flu vaccine comment

The head of the HSE has defended suggestions that nurses be given chocolates to encourage them to get vaccinated.

Tony O'Brien has taken to twitter after Dr Kevin Kelleher told the Oireachtas Health Committee yesterday that incentives work in improving vaccine uptake rates.

"Be they incentives for the institution or incentives for individuals, ranging from giving them chocolates - and actually chocolates works extremely well there's some very good evidence for that - and draws for iPads and things like that work very well," Dr Kelleher said.

Mr O'Brien says he was citing examples and asked "if it's now a crime to cite evidence".

The INMO says the comments at the committee are disrespectful and demeaning.

The General Secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Liam Doran, said that that kind of comment was "absolutely objectionable" and Mr Kelleher should respect nurses' opinions and not treat them like children.

You may not like the truth - but he was relating examples of initiatives that have worked in reality. Is it now a 'crime to cite evidence?

— Tony O’Brien (@tweetstob) May 11, 2017