Healthcare workers urged to protect themselves from COVID-19 and Flu this winter

HSE Mid West Launches Autumn Winter Vaccinations Campaign 2023/24

Thursday, October 5, 2023 | HSE Mid West Community Healthcare, UL Hospitals Group and Public Health HSE Mid-West have come together to support healthcare workers to protect themselves and the public from COVID-19 and influenza this winter.

The three organisations have jointly launched the annual HSE Mid West Autumn Winter Vaccinations Campaign, which sees COVID-19 and flu vaccinations offered free of charge to healthcare workers across Limerick, North Tipperary and Clare.

Dedicated vaccination clinics for Healthcare Workers will be hosted in a range of acute and community healthcare settings throughout all three counties. Details of these clinics will be communicated with staff throughout the winter, via the usual internal channels and via a dedicated page on the HSE website. All healthcare workers can also avail of both vaccinations for free through their GP or local pharmacy.

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective vaccines, and they can be given at the same appointment. As we face into another winter with the twin threats of COVID-19 and flu, we are calling on healthcare workers throughout the Mid West to get vaccinated protect themselves and the patients and service users they care for. Healthcare staff are up to 10 times more likely to get influenza compared to the general population, and each year the Winter Vaccinations campaign encourages them to get the flu vaccine to protect themselves, their patients and their families.

The HSE is also urging the wider community to avail of both winter vaccines, as they are the best protection against flu and COVID-19 this year. The vaccines are safe and effective. The HSE only uses vaccines when they meet the required standards of safety and effectiveness and after the European Medicine’s Agency (EMA) has licensed them. Vaccines offer strong protection. Though specific levels of effectiveness can vary from person to person, if vaccinated people do get sick, they are likely to have milder symptoms.

The threat of COVID-19 also remains, and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has recommended this autumn that health and care workers get their COVID-19 vaccine. This will give your immune system the top up it needs to protect you from serious illness. According to an analysis of 136,523 cases of COVID-19 in early 2023, there was a tenfold decrease in the COVID-19 deaths in the Mid-West region following the introduction of the free COVID-19 vaccine. Public Health HSE Mid-West recorded 660 deaths since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the analysis, the case fatality rate pre-vaccine rollout was an estimated 2.2%. This had decreased to 0.2% since the rollout of the free COVID-19 vaccine.

Niamh Wallace, Head of Service, Health & Wellbeing, HSE Mid West Community Healthcare, said: “We’re encouraging all HSE staff to get the flu and COVID-19 vaccines to protect themselves and the people they care for in their jobs and their families. Over the coming months, we will be holding dozens of vaccination clinics in healthcare settings throughout Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary where both vaccines will be on offer. It is safe and convenient to receive both vaccines at the same time, and I encourage all healthcare staff and all members of the public, especially those in high risk groups, to avail of this opportunity.”

Declan McNamara, Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery, UL Hospitals Group, said: “This Winter it is so important to get vaccinated in order to build a robust immune defence in our hospitals and communities against the threat of dual COVID-19/influenza infection. We know that these diseases can cause serious illness and death, particularly among vulnerable groups. We also know that if there are high levels of disease circulating in the community, then it puts an additional burden on all health services at what is already a busy time of the year. I’m encouraging all healthcare workers to get their COVID and flu vaccines without delay and ensure they are protected as soon as possible.”

Dr Breda Cosgrove, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at Public Health HSE Mid-West, said: “If you work in a healthcare setting, you are a much higher risk of getting flu and COVID-19 compared to the general population. You can also spread these viruses to others including elderly and vulnerable patients. This winter, we’re urging all healthcare workers across the Mid-West to get vaccinated against both flu and COVID-19 to protect themselves and the people they’re taking care of every day. There will be vaccination clinics for healthcare workers across the region over the coming weeks where you can get both vaccines at the same time.”

Once again this year, HSE Mid West has teamed up with UNICEF and will be making a donation in recognition of the commitment of staff to being vaccinated. This will help to support UNICEF to continue its vital work as part of its life-saving immunisation programme.

COVID-19
Who can be vaccinated now?
You will be offered a booster dose from 2nd October if you are:
• age 50 or older
• age 5 or older with a weak immune system
• age 5 to 49 with a condition that puts you at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19
• a healthcare worker
If you're aged 18 to 49 and not in one of the groups above, you can still request a vaccine. Talk to your GP or pharmacist about your reasons for wanting a booster.

FLU Vaccine
You can get the Flu vaccine for free if you are:
• age 65 and older
• age 2 to 12
• a healthcare worker
• pregnant
• living in a nursing home or other long-term care facility
• in regular contact with pigs, poultry or waterfowl
• someone with a health condition that puts you at higher risk of Flu (age 6 months and older).