Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will ask the Minister for Health to contact Deputy Burton about the superbug because I do not have the data on the threats associated with it.

Deputy Burton is correct about the communications plan. A stronger campaign is required. The campaign was launched on 2 October, with an initial focus on health care workers. The radio adverts, which will run for three weeks, commenced on 9 October and there will be a further two weeks of the radio adverts when the flu goes over the threshold. Those aged 65 and over and pregnant women are the primary audience for the radio campaign, which will also reach medically at-risk groups and health care workers as they make up a more generic radio audience as well. The trend is that increasing numbers of health care workers are availing of the vaccine, with the figure increasing from 22% last year to nearly 32%, although the figure is probably still not high enough. Fourteen hospitals have exceeded the 40% national take-up target, compared to seven in 2015-2016. Therefore, there has been an improvement although I understand what Deputies Burton and Kelleher are saying. It is still not enough and we need to do all we can to encourage our own workers, who are working with vulnerable people, to try to increase the level of take-up.

Let me repeat that the vaccine is available free of charge from GPs for all people in the at-risk groups and from pharmacies for everyone in at-risk groups aged 18 years and over. An administrative charge may apply to people who do not hold medical cards or GP-visit cards. Again, I stress the need for people to engage and to get the vaccine.

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