Irish Examiner view: Low jab rates store trouble for the future
The HSE reported that flu vaccination take-up among healthcare workers is just 30% this winter, which is less than half the HSE’s target rate for staff of 75%. Picture: Getty/Stock
Last week alone, 801 people were admitted to hospitals with flu, including six to intensive care units.
It is worth pointing out that the numbers infected with RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) have dropped by 30% — down to 575 cases compared to 794 the week before — but those numbers are higher than those at the equivalent time in both 2024 and 2023. Covid remains a significant challenge for the health service as well, having claimed 59 lives this winter.
In and of themselves, these are worrying statistics, but they are also indicative of deeply concerning broader trends. We are almost numb by now to the level of overcrowding in our hospitals, but such overcrowding can be particularly dangerous when it comes to the spread of respiratory diseases spreading.
Housing remains the most pressing issue which faces the new Government, but our malfunctioning health system runs it a close second.
There is also the ongoing rumble of anti-vaccination sentiment, now strengthened by the high visibility of the likes of Robert F Kennedy Jr in the US. Public figures such as this serve as figureheads for anti-science campaigners and must be countered by proactive, dynamic messaging from the authorities here which advocates for vaccination.
What does not help with such messaging are revelations like yesterday’s from the HSE.
It reported that flu vaccination take-up among healthcare workers is just 30% this winter, which is less than half the HSE’s target rate for staff of 75%. That is not an example to encourage the public to get vaccinated in greater numbers.
Respiratory illnesses can be stopped from spreading if we have the energy to do so. And if all are committed to the collective effort.
Outgoing US president Joe Biden gave the traditional farewell address on Wednesday, a long-standing American tradition that goes back centuries. However, one of his predecessors ever delivered a message quite like this one.
Antipathy between politicians is understandable, but Mr Biden’s warning about the near future went beyond any personal dislike of the man who takes his place in the Oval Office on Monday, Donald Trump.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” said Mr Biden on Wednesday. He added that a “tech industrial complex” was responsible for an “avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power”, while the free press “is crumbling”.
Even if Mr Trump’s supporters dismiss those warnings as sour grapes, the evidence supports Mr Biden’s view. Whether it is Meta abandoning content moderation to curry favour with right-wingers or Elon Musk’s ongoing support for Mr Trump, the “tech industrial complex” is firmly in the Trump camp.
Any doubts about the extent of that support should be dispelled by those expected to occupy prominent seats at the inauguration next week — the likes of Tim Cook of Apple and Jeff Bezos of Amazon have been invited to the ceremony. So has Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, even though that company may be banned from operating in America by Sunday.
Spotify, Uber, and X are understood to be holding social events in Washington DC celebrating the inauguration, while Peter Thiel of Palantir will host a pre-inauguration function in the city. Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, meanwhile, is expected to host a post-inauguration function.
Mr Biden’s comments may need to be corrected. The visibility of these representatives of the “tech industrial complex” suggests that the oligarchy he fears is not taking shape. It is already in place.
The Welsh port of Holyhead, which provides a vital link between Britain and Dublin, is back in operation after being closed for over a month thanks to Storm Darragh.
However, the port is not yet operating at full capacity. Two berths at Holyhead, which link Wales and Dublin, were damaged on December 7, affecting thousands of travellers and deliveries over Christmas. Only one of those berths has reopened.
The port’s importance as a conduit for Ireland can hardly be over-stated. It saw 1.6m passengers travelling between Wales and the Republic in 2023, the same year 4.8m tonnes of freight was handled at the port. Little wonder that the disruption caused by Storm Darragh drew a reaction from the highest levels of Government.
The week before Christmas, Taoiseach Simon Harris said the closure had caused “a lot of heartache and disruption for people and traders this Christmas”, adding that he had spoken directly with the first minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, about the matter.
The Welsh minister for transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, recently announced a taskforce would develop a strategy for the port’s future. This may be where Ireland becomes involved. Should Ireland buy a stake in Holyhead, perhaps purchasing one of the berths at the port?
Doing so would not offset damage done by natural disasters, but ownership would offer a reassuring element of control and autonomy — not to mention urgency if repair and reopening were necessary in the event of another closure.
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