HealtH Matters 7
Pandemic
Swine Flu
Vaccination Update
In our last issue of Health Matters we reported on the Swine Flu • Logistical challenges at every stage in
vaccine. This issue, we follow up with an update on Swine Flu and
getting vaccine from the port of arrival
to GP surgeries and Mass Vaccination
the vaccination programme rolled out by HSE staff nationwide, by
Centres.
dr pat doorley, National Director of Population Health
• The challenge of communicating with the
public, health professionals and others
t
he emergence of the new flu virus last offered the vaccine and over 20 per cent through various media.
april, and the subsequent declaration of the entire population. these figures • The ongoing re-deployment of over
of a global pandemic by WHO required a compare very favourably with other eU 1,000 staff without the possibility of
response on a scale unprecedented in the states and we are very grateful to everyone recruiting replacements.
Irish Health services. the response varied who took part in making this campaign • Evolving scientific knowledge and
with the evolution of the pandemic and such a success. guidelines, and constant updating of
involved surveillance, co-operation with By the end of March, all primary and planning assumptions and other factors,
other countries, intensive efforts to contain secondary schools will either have been which necessitated complex scenario
infection, treatment of those infected visited by vaccination teams, or the planning.
and their close contacts, and a Mass children will have been invited to come to a
Vaccination Programme. Hse clinic. anyone who has not yet been eFFeCtiVe reSPonSe
the swine Flu Vaccination programme vaccinated has been advised to come to a I would like to personally thank and
is now in its final phase, where swine Hse clinic for their vaccination before the commend the many hundreds of our
Flu vaccine is being made available to end of March 2010. Other mechanisms for staff who have participated in Ireland’s
children in schools and also to the general members of the general population put in response to this unique event. From
population through Hse clinics nationwide. place by the Hse include offering vaccine the initial outbreak response, through to
to large companies and organisations that the time when we saw the highest ever
Current Situation are in a position to offer vaccination to their level of flu recorded, with over 30,000
the rates of illness in the community have staff through in-house occupational health people falling ill each week, to the delivery
been decreasing since last October and facilities. of a mass vaccination campaign – we
are now at a low level. the National Crisis have shown our ability to respond
Management team has been stood down, VaCCination effectively to a crisis, and to do so with
but we need to continue the vaccination Pregnant women from 14 weeks to six calm and authority.
programme because the unpredictable weeks after birth have been reminded that the public and media perception of
nature of Pandemic viruses means that vaccination against swine flu is still very Hse response has been highly positive
we could experience another wave of important and available through GPs, Hse and many people have responded with
infection. We are now evaluating the Clinics and some maternity units. Women appreciation, through comments, calls and
work done over the last ten months and who will be in late pregnancy in the emails of thanks to our vaccine clinic staff.
planning for a possible second wave of autumn, or who are considering becoming the response has been an unprecedented
this flu or any other pandemic virus. pregnant this year, are advised to think effort in collaboration, where staff willingly
ahead and get vaccinated now. took on work which involved new
MaSS VaCCination PrograMMe challenges, and in many cases sustained
the Mass Vaccination Programme possibly ChallengeS continued long hours of work.
represented the biggest logistical exercise at a time when the Hse was rapidly While we have more work to do in order
ever undertaken in such a short time, in advancing the transformation agenda, to complete the vaccination of school
the history of the state. since we started and operating in a changing economic children and the general population, and
it, at the beginning of November 2009, environment, managing the Pandemic not doubt much to learn from our review,
we have moved through the critical target presented many challenges. these everybody who has participated in any
groups, and to date, approximately included: way, in the response to the swine Flu
900,000 people have been vaccinated. • Planning and responding to a rapidly Pandemic can take pride in what has
this represents about 50 per cent of those evolving situation. been achieved.
HM Iss6.1 p1-70.indd 7 12/03/2010 15:50:24
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