Dublin: The proportion of healthcare workers in Ireland receiving the flu vaccine has dropped to its lowest level in seven years, according to new figures from the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
Only 45.4% of healthcare staff in public hospitals have been vaccinated against influenza this winter, compared to 57.2% last year. The last time uptake was this low was in 2017/18, when 44.8% of staff received the vaccine.
Across the six health regions, vaccination rates varied significantly. Uptake was lowest in the West and North West (34.5%), followed by Dublin and the North East (41.8%), the Mid West (42.3%), and the South West (43.3%). In the Dublin and Midlands region, the rate reached 49%, while only in Dublin and the South East did uptake exceed 50%.
Health officials had expected a stronger response this year, given early warnings of a potentially severe flu season. However, the figures suggest staff are increasingly reluctant to take up the vaccine.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has urged the HSE to develop a comprehensive strategy to boost vaccination rates among healthcare workers. The union warned that a surge in respiratory illnesses over the coming months could overwhelm the public health system. They also pressed for each HSE local health authority to prepare detailed plans to tackle hospital overcrowding and reduce the number of patients left waiting on trolleys.
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has reiterated its advice that individuals continue to receive the Covid-19 vaccine once or twice annually, in addition to the flu vaccine. Older healthcare workers and those with underlying conditions remain at the highest risk of serious illness and hospitalisation.
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