The Department of Health aims to have more people immunised against influenza this winter than in previous years, the Chief Medical Officer (Professor Liam Donaldson) said on October 22 at the launch of Flu Awareness Week. He said that the number of people receiving the vaccine had been increasing over the years but still only around half of those "at risk" were vaccinated.
The key risk groups for whom vaccination is recommended are those with underlying medical conditions such as chronic respiratory, renal or heart disease or diabetes mellitus and those with impaired immunity, people in residential or nursing homes, and all those aged 75 and over.
The Department of Health has ordered extra supplies of vaccine this year and is advising health authorities that, if they feel it appropriate, they could offer the vaccine to "key workers" to try to ensure that influenza does not cause staffing problems over the millennium holiday period.