Latest HSE figures show that hospitalisations and presentations to emergency departments from flu have doubled in one week, with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre saying this is largely attributable to a new variant of flu.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, the Director of National Health Protection at the HSE, Dr Eamonn O’Moore, said: “We’ve been seeing a significant rise in flu activity, particularly in the last week or so.”
He said this rise in cases is happening earlier in the season than usual.
“So, we’re seeing a flu season that’s been brought forward around two to three weeks upon the usual seasonal pattern. And this has now really started to kick off in earnest.
“For last week … we saw nearly 2,000 new flu cases reported to our Health Protection Surveillance Centre, and that compared to just over 900 the previous week,” explained Dr O’Moore.
“We saw over 1,000 people present to emergency departments last week compared to just around 550 the week before.”
Dr O’Moore said that the number of people in hospital with flu has increased significantly in the last week, at around 400 cases in the last reporting week compared to 200 the previous week.
“So, there’s no doubt that we’re now in the upward curve of this current flu wave, which is hitting earlier than normal.”
Dr Scott Walkin, from the Irish College of GPs, said the new flu variant is “highly virulent”.
In a statement, Dr Walkin said: “The winter flu season has arrived several weeks earlier this year, with a highly virulent new strain called H3N2 subclade K. H3 flu tends to be more severe than other types.
“Already even though the season is just starting, seven people have died, and admissions to hospitals have increased by 50% between week 46 and week 47,” said Dr Walkin.
Dr O’Moore said at the moment, doctors are not seeing evidence that it is making more people sicker, but he said it does impact on those who are vulnerable to complications of flu.
“And that includes people who are older, people with weakened immune systems, and also pregnant women.
“So, we need to be mindful that those who are advised to get the flu vaccine, this is to protect those most likely to have complications of flu,” Dr O’Moore explained.
Take-up of flu vaccine a ‘mixed picture’, says doctor
In relation to the take-up of this year’s vaccine, Dr O’Moore said: “It’s a mixed picture. Among children aged 2 to 17, about a fifth of those eligible have so far been immunised.
“That’s over 200,000 children, so that’s a lot of children, but still many more should have received the vaccine by now, ideally, but there’s still time to do so.
“Among adults who are eligible – so those are people 60 years and older – around 56% of people had been immunised up to the latest reporting points.
“That’s over 580,000 adults. And the good news is that among the most vulnerable adults in our system, those who are in long-term care facilities, among those who are Fair Deal residents, over 80% of those have been immunised.
“That’s nearly 20,000 people. So, there’s been a lot of work going on, but it is a mixed picture and we do encourage people to now come forward for the flu vaccine.”
Irish College of GPs encouraging people to get flu vaccine
GPs are also encouraging the public to get vaccinated against the flu to protect vulnerable family members over Christmas.
“We are seeing the winter flu outbreak several weeks earlier this year, which means that the peak will coincide with the Christmas and New Year holidays,” Dr Walkin said.
He said those age groups who are most likely to get the flu are babies, 1- to 4-year-olds, and elderly people with underlying medical problems.
“The current flu vaccine provides good protection against severe disease. The vaccine is effective within two weeks of getting it, so it’s really important to get the vaccine now to ensure it doesn’t ruin your Christmas or someone else’s,” Dr Walkin added.
The flu vaccine is available from GPs and pharmacies and is free to: those aged 60 or older; those aged from 2-17; and to healthcare workers and pregnant women.