Results 1-15 of 15 for flu segment:7703501

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

Dr. Denis McCauley: It depends on the age group. With the flu vaccine, for example, it has been found that if there is lower coverage in children the rate of spread of flu is actually less. A level of 65% is necessary in the older age group to prevent it from spreading quickly. The evidence of the English research shows that if one gets a smaller proportion of children the spread is less....

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

Ms Rachel Morrogh: As the Deputy will probably know, cancer patients are considered an at-risk group. Therefore, they are encouraged to get the flu vaccine every year. Certainly, the Irish Cancer Society will be playing its part in that regard and encouraging cancer patients to get vaccinated. It is important as well that, while I would expect there to be probably a high uptake among...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

Paul McAuliffe: To come back to the point, Dr. McCauley or Dr. Peadar Gilligan mentioned the issue of the flu vaccination. Obviously, in the fight against Covid, a comprehensive and more widespread flu vaccination programme will be needed. I wonder if both organisations, particularly the IMO but also in terms of cancer patients, might comment on what they would like that vaccination programme to look like...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

...matter. We will meet further with representatives of the HSE next week in the context of the roll-out of the programme. It is important to note that we will always encourage everyone to get the flu vaccine. We encourage employers to make it available to their staff. It is not the case that the vaccine is not beneficial after the end of October. Even while the flu is circulating,...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

Ms Susan Clyne: I understand the HSE will make some proposals to the committee this afternoon in relation to the flu vaccination but it has already been announced that the flu vaccination will now be extended to children between the ages of two and 12. The IMO had called a number of months ago for Government to look at a total population vaccination programme and to sit down and talk to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Do we know what percentage of the population would have to be vaccinated against the flu to achieve herd immunity?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: When does the flu season typically start?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

Dr. Denis McCauley: It varies. It came early last year. Generally, it is any time from September to January. The flu came on time in Australia so we imagine it will come in late October, but last year it came early.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: If we are to achieve herd immunity from the flu by having the required percentage of the population vaccinated, while everybody is stressing that it will be a voluntary vaccination, time is ticking.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

Ms Susan Clyne: On the subject of vaccinations, while it might be 65% for the flu in that age group, it is different across the population. We would look for everybody to participate in the HPV vaccine for girls and boys in schools. For the childhood vaccination programme, one would need herd immunity of over 85%. We are always pushing for the maximum number of people to be vaccinated to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

...childhood infections at all since March but now with crèches open, we are seeing children with temperatures. Even within the pod system, there will be a certain amount of mixing. With regard to the flu, children are thought to be significant vectors. They are not that symptomatic but do seem to spread it.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

Dr. Denis McCauley: Going by the present system, it has to be above 65% or 70% to be effective. That is going by the Irish situation. The flu vaccine is available to at-risk groups and people over a certain age. That is what is necessary with the Irish dynamic. When one extends it to the whole population, that effective figure could change. As Ms Clyne said, the higher, the better. As...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

...even on the general medical services scheme, GMS. The HSE funds the actual, physical vaccine but not the administration of the vaccine. In light of the need to limit respiratory illnesses and flu in the community the IMO has called for the vaccine to be available on a total population basis, but available voluntarily. We would encourage the total population but we do not want to get...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

...then general practice will stand up. If the transfer of such care is incoherent, however, and if it is not planned and resourced, it could actually have a detrimental effect. The system is now in flux and the last thing we want is for that flux to result in a decision to transfer care to the community without all the personnel being in place in the primary care teams, as well as the GPs....

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Waiting Lists and Screening (17 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: ...two questions to Ms Clyne because we are tight on time. There is an awful lot I would like to ask about, but we are confined by the time limits. Ms Clyne mentioned preparation for the winter flu season and what will happen with the added concern of Covid-19. Those concerns relate to vaccinations and how they are rolled out, as Ms Clyne referred to. I ask her to expand on that. Ms...