The free flu vaccine is now available to everyone over the age of 60 and children under the age of 17. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced that this expansion of free vaccines will be rolled out in 2024 and 2025.
Children aged two and over will be eligible for the nasal spray flu vaccine, while an injectable vaccine will be available for other eligible groups, including those aged 60 and over, people with certain health conditions, and healthcare workers. The free vaccine is also available to pregnant individuals, nursing home residents, and household contacts of people with underlying conditions or Down Syndrome.
Minister Donnelly emphasized that this expansion will “ensure that those who are most vulnerable to the effects of flu will be offered protection, free of charge.” He added, “The expansion of this program is particularly important when we consider the pressure that flu cases and hospitalizations place on our healthcare service. I encourage everyone who is eligible for the vaccine to take up the offer once the program commences.”
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Colette Bonner noted that vaccines are “the most effective means of protection” against flu. “By making the seasonal flu vaccine available free of charge to all adults from 60 years of age, we are helping to protect the population against flu and to reduce its spread in the community,” she said. “This extension is intended to further limit the burden on our health services for flu-related illnesses over the winter months.”
Last winter, 48 people died from flu, including five who died over the Christmas period, according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). The spike in flu and COVID-19 cases over the winter period put additional pressure on hospitals, with thousands of patients treated without beds across the country, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
Infectious diseases expert Prof. Sam McConkey previously stated that a new national vaccination program could reduce hospital admissions by up to 75,000. A report from the Office of Health Economics (OHE) found that 1,429 deaths and 16,555 life years could be saved if recommended programs from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) were implemented.
