A good opportunity to get the jab and reduce the spread of the seasonal flu
Quick, painless and effective – a nasal spray is all it takes (Image: Getty)
Over the next few days, parents in Cork can take advantage of a free children’s flu vaccination program as the HSE is running a number of walk-in clinics across the county. Hospitals in Cork are continuing to battle the seasonal spike in cases, which saw a fresh round of visitor restrictions placed at the CUH this week.
The first three clinics took place in Blackrock, Bantry and Ballincollig on Thursday and Friday, but if you missed those, there are four more planned in the coming days. The HSE has encouraged parents with children aged 2-17 to attend as the vaccinations can stop the spread of flu and take pressure off hospitals this winter.
Needles are often the biggest gripe that children have with vaccinations, but these clinics avoid all that hassle by administering it via nasal spray instead – a quick and painless procedure that’s just as effective as the traditional method. You can find the dates, times and locations for each clinic below.
Monday, January 19
St Mary’s Primary Care Centre, Gurranabraher (T23 V09X) – 1 pm to 5 pm.Mallow Primary Care Centre (P51 Y8EC) – 1 pm to 5 pm.Kinsale Primary Care Centre, New Road (P17 RY11) – 3 pm to 4 pm.
Tuesday, January 20
St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road (T12 HX60) – 9 am to 1 pm
Dr Rebecca Marshall, Specialist Registrar in Public Health Medicine, said: “Flu can be serious for children and those around them. These walk-in clinics offer an accessible way to ensure children are protected and to help reduce the spread of flu in our communities.”
The HSE’s latest Integrated Respiratory Virus Bulletin shows that the largest seasonal spike is likely behind us, but hospitals are still enormously busy. On Friday, the HSE announced that Cork University Hospital would now be implementing strict visitor restrictions to protect its most vulnerable patients.
Each patient is only allowed one visitor per day, and they’re only permitted to stay for 15 minutes. No one is allowed to see patients outside the visiting hours of 2-4 pm and 6 – 8 pm. Everyone visiting must wear a surgical mask and use hand sanitiser provided at the entrance of the hospital. As per the usual rules, people shouldn’t go if they’re feeling unwell.
CUH CEO Jennifer Kearney said: “Unfortunately, flu rates in the community remain high, and we must continue visitor restrictions at CUH to protect our patients. We are very grateful for the public’s continued cooperation and understanding, as it makes a real difference to patient safety.”
She also encouraged people to take proactive steps such as getting the jab in order to curb the spread of flu.