Flu Vaccine

Vaccination is recommended for:

1. People aged 65 years or older.

2. All pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy.

3. Children aged 2-17 years. Children aged 2-17 years receive a nasal spray flu vaccine. Children who cannot be given the nasal spray flu vaccine (due to contraindications) may need to be given the vaccine by injection.

4. People who have close, regular contact with pigs, poultry or water fowl.

5. “The at risk group” – those aged 6-23 months (please note that infants/children aged 6 months to 8 years in an “at risk” group who have had no previous flu vaccine will require a second vaccination 4 weeks after the first) and 13 to 64 years who are at increased risk of Influenza related complications. The group includes those with:-

• chronic heart disease, including acute coronary syndrome
• chronic liver disease
• chronic kidney failure
• chronic respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, moderate or severe asthma, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia
• chronic neurological disease including multiple sclerosis, hereditary and degenerative disorders of the central nervous system
• diabetes
• Down syndrome
• haemoglobinopathies
• a body mass index (BMI) over 40
• immunosuppression due to disease or treatment (including asplenia or hyposplenism, and all cancer patients)
• children with a moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disorder such as cerebral palsy
• children on long-term aspirin therapy
• any condition that can compromise respiratory function, like spinal cord injury, seizure disorder or other neuromuscular disorder, especially people also attending special schools or day centres

6. Those likely to transmit influenza to a person at high risk for influenza complications:-

• Health Care Workers, both for their own protection and for the protection of patients.
• Only household contacts or carers of people who have an underlying chronic health condition or have Down syndrome are eligible to receive an influenza vaccine. A carer is described as someone who is providing an ongoing significant level of care to a person who is in need of care in the home due to illness or disability or frailty e.g. those in receipt of a carer’s allowance.
  • household contacts of people aged 65 years and older (who do not also have a chronic health condition), pregnant women, children aged 2-17 years or of healthcare workers or carers are not recommended the influenza vaccine.

For adults:-

• Anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction to any previous flu vaccine.
• Anyone taking medicines called combination checkpoint inhibitors, for example, ipilimumab plus nivolumab (these are normally used to treat lung cancer/melanoma/other cancers when being used in clinical trials).
• Anyone ill with a temperature greater than 38 degrees Celsius – you should wait until you are well before getting the vaccine.
• Anyone with an egg allergy, should talk to their GP about getting the vaccine.

For children:-

• If a child has had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of the flu vaccine or any of its ingredients.
• If a child has severe asthma or if they have been wheezy or needed their inhaler more than usual in the 3 days before the vaccine.
• If a child is taking medicines called salicylates, which include aspirin.
• If a child has a severely weakened immune system because of certain medical conditions or treatments.
• If a child living with someone who has a severely weakened immune system – for example, a person who recently had a bone marrow transplant

Your child may not be able to have the nasal flu vaccine. Speak our pharmacist about getting the vaccine as an injection.

If your child is 6 months to 2 years of age and is in a high-risk group for flu, they’ll be offered a flu vaccine injection. This is because the nasal spray is not licensed for children under the age of 2.

• Most common side effects can include fever, feeling unwell, shivering, fatigue, headache, sweating, muscle and joint pain and skin reactions such as redness, swelling, pain, bruising and hardening of the skin at the injection site.
• Rare reactions include severe allergic reactions, nerve pain and inflammation, numbness, tingling, fits, thrombocytopenia (a blood disorder), vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) and rare nerve disorders. Seek medical advice if you experience any of these.

• Book your vaccine online
• If you are feeling in any way unwell you should not attend for your vaccine and we kindly ask you to call us on 0567721033 to cancel your appointment.
• One parent must accompany any child under 15 who is having a flu vaccine.
• Please wear a loose top to allow your sleeve to be rolled up as far as your shoulder (many men’s shirts do not allow this so consider wearing a t-shirt).
• You will be asked to remain in the shop for 5 minutes after your vaccine to ensure there are no immediate side effects.

The vaccine and it’s administration is totally FREE for those who:-

• are aged 65 years or older -regardless of health or medical card status
• are aged 2-17 years -regardless of health or medical card status
• are aged 6-23 months or 13 – 64 years and are members of the “at risk group” (see point 5 here in who should get a flu vaccine) -regardless of medical card status
• are aged 6-23 months and 13 – 64 years and are NOT members of the “at risk group” but are in very close contact/caring for members of the “at risk group” (see point 5 here in who should get a flu vaccine)

The vaccine is €30 for anyone who falls outside of the “at risk” categories

• With your permission we will inform your doctor that you have been vaccinated so that they can update your medical records. This is important as the vaccine should not be duplicated.
• Being vaccinated is likely to provide effective protection against this year’s strain of the winter flu virus; however, there will still be a small chance of you catching flu.
• After vaccine, it takes 10-21 days to be protected against flu. You cannot catch flu from a flu vaccine.
• Flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines and boosters can be administered on the same day. We would normally recommend having them in different arms unless this is not possible.
• Blood tests for HIV, hepatitis C and HTLV1 should not be taken for two weeks following vaccine because there is a possibility of a false positive result.
• On rare occasions, anaphylaxis may occur. We have procedures in place to deal with this.
• If you are concerned about any aspects of your vaccine or about any side effects, you should talk to our pharmacist.
• It’s important that you stay in the pharmacy for 5 minutes after your vaccine, just in case you have any immediate side effects.
• To provide you with the most protection from catching winter flu, it is recommended you receive the winter flu vaccine every year. Even if you were vaccinated last year, you should still get your vaccine this year.

For further information regarding this year’s flu vaccine please see the HSE resources here