Children, pregnant women, and elderly urged to get flu vaccine

Dr Aparna Keegan, clinical flu lead with the HSE, said a 10-year study carried out in Ireland found almost 5,000 children were admitted to hospitals with the flu between 2008 and 2019. Picture: Moya Nolan

The HSE has urged children, pregnant women and the elderly to get the flu vaccine, as the first cases of influenza emerge this winter.

In contrast to the panic last year when demand for the flu jab outstripped supply, Dr Aparna Keegan, clinical flu lead with the HSE, said three different types of flu vaccine are available this year in plentiful supplies.