Immunisation BulletinThe HPV Catch-Up Programme will be offered to 5th and 6th years of secondary school by the HSE Schools Vaccination Teams. We would like to ensure you have the key information and resources needed to support the successful delivery of this new programme. Below are a number of useful documents to assist you in managing […]
The HSE is launching a new HPV Catch-Up Campaign on 8 January 2026, giving young people who previously missed the HPV vaccine a once-off opportunity to get protected against HPV-related cancers. HPV (human papillomavirus) is a very common virus. Over 80% of people will get an HPV infection in their lifetime. While most infections clear […]
Vaccine misinformation has been in the news recently. When someone has concerns or worries about vaccines, the advice that a trusted healthcare professional gives is very influential (Malik et al. Behavioural Interventions for vaccination uptake: A systematic review and meta-analysis). There is good evidence that when a trusted healthcare professional talks to a person about their vaccine concerns in an empathetic and […]
Since 2016, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) all oral polio vaccines (OPV) vaccines provide protection against two types of polio virus (1 and 3) only. WHO advised that children vaccinated with OPV vaccine since 2016 should also receive inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) x 2 to complete Primary immunisation against polio infection. IPV still provides […]
Should children living with a pregnant woman or an immunocompromised person have the varicella vaccine? Yes, they should have the vaccine. Vaccinating children with varicella vaccine protects them from the complications of severe varicella infection and also reduces the risk of exposure of non-immune pregnant women, non-immune infants and immunocompromised individuals to varicella infection, which can have serious, life-threatening complications […]
Flu is more than a cold Each year, flu season runs from October to April. This winter, all children aged two to 17 in Ireland will be offered the flu vaccine free of charge. Flu is not the same as a cold; it is a serious and highly infectious illness that can cause severe illness […]
Flu vaccination matters Influenza (flu) is a serious viral illness. In 2024/2025, almost 6,500 people were admitted to hospital with flu and over 300 people died. Healthcare workers are particularly vulnerable to getting flu, and are 10 times more likely to catch the flu than the general public. Complications of flu can include pneumonia and […]