Delivering flu vaccines across the region
As winter progresses, the HSE Mid West Health & Wellbeing Immunisation Team has been administering flu and Covid vaccines to residents of nursing homes and long term-care facilities across the entire region.
While opting for vaccination is a voluntary matter, the uptake rate for the flu vaccine among residents of these facilities has reached approximately 88%. The programme, which runs from September to February, has so far delivered a total of 2008 flu vaccinations.
Niamh O’Connor, Clinical Nurse Manager (CNM3), Vaccinations, HSE Mid West Health and Wellbeing, said that at a time when hospitalisations from flu are dramatically increasing, the programme was especially important for protecting those who are more vulnerable to flu, as well as their loved ones and the staff of the long term health care facilities.
There has been an earlier start to this year’s influenza season, and residents of long-stay facilities have been identified as a specific cohort for whom the vaccine is strongly recommended, and free of charge.
“Our vaccination teams are doing an excellent job, managing their caseloads to ensure that even on days when residents are unable to receive the vaccine, they will be facilitated with repeat visits to the long-term care facilities by our teams. No-one is left behind,” Ms O’Connor said.
Vaccinator Nora Mullane describes the significant clinical and administration work involved in the programme.
“There has been an excellent response from residents of the facilities. There is also the option for someone to be able to refuse. But we encourage people to take it because of the risk of developing flu or COVID, and the uptake in most nursing homes is up around 88%,” Nora explained.
A typical day for Nora begins around 8am, with collection of the vaccines and ensuring they have been stored and packed at the correct temperature.
“We go to nursing homes, long term care facilities and in some instances people’s homes where these people have been deemed house-bound. The way we work is that one person on the team identifies the individual to be vaccinated, and then the vaccinator speaks to them and ensures they have consent, before we vaccinate. We observe the residents for 15 minutes post-vaccination for any adverse reactions to the vaccine We never leave the nursing home until a half-hour after the final vaccination, and during that time, we check and return all consent forms with the associated flu and COVID vaccination cards, to the nurse in charge of the facility to place in residents’ files. It’s a very thorough process,” Nora explains.
Nora is heartened by the response of residents’ and their loved ones to the vaccination programme, and is looking forward to maximise the numbers vaccinated by the time re-visits are completed by the end of February.
Vaccination is a year-round process for Nora, as she also works on the Spring Booster programme from April to June, before starting again on flu and COVID vaccination in long-term care facilities and nursing homes.
“Vaccination is very important,” Nora says, “and it’s great that the uptake for this programme is so high. I’d encourage anyone to receive their flu and COVID vaccines. Not alone does it protect you; it protects everybody else as well; not just themselves, but also those who are more vulnerable than themselves.”
Flu vaccines are available now at participating GP clinics and pharmacies. For healthcare workers, free flu vaccines are available in staff vaccination clinics and in the community in GPs and Pharmacies. Additionally all children aged 2-17 years are recommended to get the free flu vaccine.
The flu vaccine is strongly recommended and free for:
- Everyone aged 60 years and older
- People with underlying medical conditions
- Healthcare workers (including students in healthcare and social care)
- All children aged 2-17 years
- Pregnant women (at any stage of pregnancy)
- Carers and household contacts of people at higher risk
- Residents of nursing homes and other long-stay facilities