Visit us on:
Click here for information on swine flu.
Flu Vaccine
2022/2023 Seasonal flu Vaccination Campaign
Book your flu vaccination at Chambers Pharmacy online by clicking the Booking Tab and filling out the online form.
The flu vaccine is available to all over 6 months of age.
The 2022/2023 HSE seasonal vaccination programme will offer two types of vaccine:- the Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine
- the Fluenz Tetra nasal spray suspension Influenza vaccine (live attenuated, nasal vaccine) for children aged 2 to 17 years
- an A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
- an A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2)-like virus
- a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus
- a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus
Based on advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO), this year the
seasonal flu vaccine contains three common flu virus strains.
Who should get the vaccine this year?
- Persons aged 65 and over,
- Those with a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, heart or lung disease,
- People whose immune system is impaired due to disease or treatment,
- Persons with a body mass index (BMI) over 40,
- Pregnant women (can be given at any stage of pregnancy),
- Residents of nursing homes and other long stay institutions,
- Healthcare workers,
- Carers,
- People with regular close contact with poultry, water fowl or pigs.
Why are pregnant women included?
Pregnant women should get the seasonal flu vaccination to protect themselves and their baby.
This year’s seasonal flu vaccine can be given at any stage of pregnancy and will also protect the baby.
In the U.S. flu vaccine has been routinely recommended for all pregnant women for many years.
The annual flu vaccine does not contain aluminium (adjuvant) or thiomersal, (a mercury based preservative).
There are no safety concerns of administering the seasonal flu vaccine. Seasonal flu vaccines have been given
for more than 60 years to millions of people across the world. Reactions are generally mild and serious side
effects are very rare.
Why get a flu vaccine?
Vaccines are the best line of defence we have against a flu virus. The flu vaccine reduces infection and
associated illnesses and hospitalisation, especially for those people for whom flu can become a serious illness.
According to Dr. Brenda Corcoran from the HSE’s National Immunisation Office, "Each year there is a new seasonal
vaccine to protect against the circulating strains of flu virus. Flu is very infectious and can cause potentially
serious illnesses especially for older people those who have a chronic illness and pregnant women. All those at risk
should get the flu vaccine this year to make sure that they are protected".
"The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu as it does not contain any live flu virus. We want to ensure that people
in the at-risk groups, and pregnant women, get the annual flu vaccine this year so that our most vulnerable groups
are kept safe this winter from the three most common strains of flu.
In addition to flu vaccination, everyone in the risk groups should also receive *pneumococcal vaccine which
is available free of charge from General Practitioners.
Pneumococcal vaccine is not required every year – most people only need to get it once, so those at risk should
check with their General Practitioner.
Signs of Symptoms of Influenza
Symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, headache, aches and pains, and sometimes
a sore throat and dry cough. The flu is also characterised by a very sudden onset of
symptoms.
Flu versus a cold or ‘flu-like’ symptoms:
| Symptoms | Flu | Cold |
|---|---|---|
| Fever High (38-39°C) (102-104° F) | Rare | lasts 3-4 day |
| Headache | Prominent | Rare |
| General Aches, Pains | Usual; often severe | Slight |
| Fatigue, Weakness | Can last up to 2-3 weeks | Quite mild |
| Extreme Exhaustion | Early and prominent | Never |
| Stuffy Nose | Sometimes | Common |
| Sneezing | Sometimes | Usual |
| Sore Throat | Sometimes | Common |
