It is proving difficult to encourage care workers to take the flu vaccine due to myths on social media, the chief executive of the Independent Health Care Providers has said.
Pauline Shepherd said providers were trying everything to boost uptake of the vaccine among workers – but that social media played a big part in fuelling misinformation.
Several care homes in Northern Ireland have advised families not to visit loved ones as they attempt to protect residents from the current outbreak of the flu virus.
“Vaccination levels across care homes are similar to that across the whole of the health system and the whole of the population,” Ms Shepherd said.
“I think it is a general reaction to Covid – the population in general is not that keen on being vaccinated – so I don’t think care home staff are any different to anybody else in the general population.
“We have continually advised staff and tried to encourage staff – but it is very difficult to bust some of the myths that are out there about vaccinations.”
She said social media “plays a big part” in influencing people about vaccinations, so “unfortunately we are struggling to try and encourage people”.
Almost 80% of care home residents have been vaccinated but the BBC understands there has not been the same take up among the workforce.
‘As safe as possible’
Ms Shepherd said workers were under pressure, but care homes were managing any outbreaks and trying to keep as many people away from hospitals as possible
However, she said this was being made difficult by staff absences.
Following news that two care homes had yet to roll-out their vaccination programmes to residents, she said this was the first she had heard of it and she wasn’t aware of the reasons why.
She said all their providers were communicated with and linked with a pharmacy.
“I’m not sure how two were missed,” Ms Shepherd said.
“Mitigations will be in place in terms of guidance in terms of face masks – if there are outbreaks the normal infection controls will kick in – so they will have taken a course of action to keep residents as safe as possible”.
On Friday, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the health care system in Northern Ireland “is so fragile” that it would only take “one thing to knock it over”.
It comes amid a surge in flu cases adding to pressures on hospitals and front-line staff with some health trusts encouraging mask wearing in a bid to combat rising winter viruses.
The Public Health Agency (PHA) has appealed for everyone who is eligible for a vaccine to get one.