Health minister defends decision not to buy enhanced flu vaccine

Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill urged people to get vaccinated, but defended the decision not to purchase the enhanced flu vaccine, arguing that it has not been overly effective. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has defended not purchasing the enhanced flu vaccine as she warned that the virus will still have a “sting in the tail into January”.

She said the health service believes Ireland is at the “midpoint” of the flu season. There were 600 people in hospital on Sunday with the illness.