HSE Dublin and Midlands will be running a walk-in vaccine clinic for children in Laois this weekend.
The clinic will take place at Laois Offaly Vaccination Base, St Fintan’s Campus, Dublin Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois, R32 ED81 on Saturday, January 18 from 10am to 4pm.
Flu is circulating widely in our communities at the moment and children are twice as likely as adults to catch it. Last year, more than 1,000 children were hospitalised with flu.
The message from the HSE is that ‘the flu vaccine gives children the best protection against flu. It’s not too late for your child to get vaccinated’.
Eileen Whelan, Regional Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the HSE Dublin and Midlands said: “Bring your children for their flu vaccine.
“It is a quick and painless nasal spray vaccine, available free for children aged 2 to 17 at our walk-in clinic or from participating GPs and pharmacies.
“It helps protect your children from getting seriously ill with the flu, as well as helping to protect babies, grandparents and other vulnerable family members.”
While most children who catch flu have mild symptoms, flu can sometimes lead to serious complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis in some children.
Children, especially young children, are also more likely than adults to get severe complications of flu.
Symptoms of flu in children can include: high temperature, muscle pains, headache and extreme tiredness.
For more information about the children’s nasal flu vaccine visit hse.ie/flu.
The HSE is also reminding parents of children that it is safe for children to get the flu vaccine any time before or after other vaccines that are recommended for them like the 4 in 1 and MMR vaccines for children in Junior Infants.
