The HSE has outlined actions that will be taken to support the health service to manage the expected increase in the number of patients requiring healthcare over the winter period.
Actions to help manage increased demand over the winter period include:

• Delivering additional capacity in acute and community services.
• Improving pathways of care for patients.
• Roll out of the vaccination programme for Flu and COVID-19 and preparing for potential increases in COVID-19 infections.

You can find more information here.

Winter Vaccines Campaign

Top-up your immunity with the COVID-19 and flu vaccines to make sure you’re protected in the months ahead. See what vaccines are recommended for you and make an appointment today.
Please find more information at https://www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/vaccines/

 

Children’s Nasal Flu Vaccine Campaign

The HSE is also launching a new campaign to encourage parents in Ireland to get all children aged 2 to 17 vaccinated against the flu.
The children’s nasal spray flu vaccine is available free for all children aged 2 to 17 from 17th October. The vaccine is given as a spray in each nostril. It is not painful and is absorbed quickly. Your child’s vaccine is available from your GP or pharmacy.

Children and young people can become seriously ill with flu. On an average year, 1 in 10 children attend their GP with flu. In the last 10 years in Ireland, almost 5,000 children were admitted to hospital with complications of flu. Almost 200 children had treatment in intensive care and 40 children died.

You can find more information here.

 

What is my COVID-19 vaccination course?

You can download a visual guide on the recommended COVID-19 vaccination course for people living in Ireland here.

 

COVID-19 and booster updates.

People in the following groups who haven’t had a second booster vaccine can now boost their protection:

• People aged 50 and older.
• People aged 12 or over with a long-term health condition like diabetes, asthma or heart disease. Please find the lists of health conditions here.
• Healthcare workers.
• Anyone who is at least 16 weeks pregnant. If you’re pregnant and you haven’t had a first booster, you can get this at any stage of your pregnancy.

Your next COVID-19 vaccine will help protect you from serious illness in the months ahead. This is because protection from previous vaccines or from COVID-19 infection, decreases over time.

If you’ve had COVID-19 recently, wait 4 months before booking your vaccine appointment. Vaccines are also available from participating GPs and pharmacies.

For more up to date information or to book an appointment in a HSE vaccination centre, visit hse.ie or call our team in HSE Live on 1800 700 700.

 

COVID-19 Testing

Details are available here.

Paxlovid™ in Ireland

Paxlovid™ is an oral medication used to treat COVID-19. It can be used to treat people who are at highest risk and should be taken in the first 5 days of illness. Paxlovid™ may not be suitable for all patients, but it can be considered for:

• Vaccinated people aged 75 or over.
• Vaccinated people aged 65 or over who also have additional risks including obesity (BMI over 35), diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms and are at higher risk, talk to your GP or hospital team. You can find more information here.
COVID-19 vaccine resources.

The HSE produces and regularly updates resources for the COVID-19 vaccine. You can visit the COVID-19 vaccine materials page for the latest leaflets and booklets including information on boosters and vaccines for children.

COVID-19 information in other languages

Visit hse.ie/translations for a range of COVID-19 vaccine information videos and resources that have been produced in other languages, including information on COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy.

Information videos on COVID-19 vaccination for parents of children aged 5-11 are available here.

Animated videos for children about COVID-19 vaccination

Animated videos for children are now available in English, Irish, Irish Sign Language and 11 other languages. You can see all of the videos here.

 

Health service updates and information

Mental Health Campaign

The HSE has launched a new national campaign highlighting the common signs of mental health difficulties that many of us are experiencing. It is encouraging people to explore the range of information and resources available on YourMentaHealth.ie to find support that can help you.

The Irish Cancer Prevention Network (ICPN) Newsletter

The Irish Cancer Prevention Network (ICPN) newsletter provides you with cancer risk reduction information, initiatives and research. In this quarter’s newsletter read about:

• National Survey on Cancer Awareness and Attitudes.
• National trends for cancers with population-based screening.
• Marie Keating Foundation Schools’ Cancer Awareness Programme
• Have Your Say: Consultation Workshop on New Skin Cancer Prevention Plan 2023-2026.
• SunSmart video series: re-imagining traditional health promotion campaigns.
• Reducing Cancer Risk: E-learning Programme.
• New publications including the Irish Cancer Prevention Network: Reduce your cancer risk poster and booklet

You can find the information in the newsletter here.

HSE National Recruitment Campaign

A National Recruitment Campaign for HSE Grade IV, Assistant Staff Officer is now open for applications. The HSE is supported in this recruitment initiative by Cpl Healthcare.

This recruitment campaign will create Grade IV, Assistant Staff Officer Panels by county for HSE services from which current and future permanent, and specified purpose vacancies of full or part-time duration may be filled.

Interested applicants can apply by visiting the HSE website here, to complete and submit the on-line application form before the closing date of 9th November 2022 @ 3pm.

 

New national survey to ask women about their experiences of bereavement care following the loss of a baby – closing date is 31st October 2022

The National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey asks women and their partners about the bereavement care they received in an Irish maternity hospital or unit following a pregnancy loss or perinatal death. The aim of the survey is to learn from the experiences of bereaved parents to find out what is working well, and what could be improved.

Women and their partners who experienced a second trimester miscarriage, the stillbirth of a baby or the early neonatal death of a baby in one of Ireland’s 19 maternity units or hospitals between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2021.

You can find out more and complete the survey online on yourexperience.ie until 31st October 2022.

Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland National Study – closing date is 31st October 2022

The Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland National Study is currently open for participants, until 31st October. This study aims to explore and measure resilience among the LGBTQI+ community, and assess the progress of their mental health and wellbeing since the LGBTIreland Report in 2016. This national survey is being conducted by Trinity College Dublin in partnership with Belong To Youth Services, and with the support of the HSE and government. Take part in the study – to have your voice heard – and read more here.

 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Attend your BreastCheck appointment when invited

BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme, is encouraging women to attend their screening appointment when invited. BreastCheck offers free breast cancer screening to women aged 50 to 69. The appointment takes less than an hour and, for most women, will happen in a location close to where they live.

It’s important for all women to check for lumps or physical changes in the shape, skin or size of their breasts. If there are any changes, they should contact their GP. This is because cancer can occur at any time, including between your screening appointments. If you haven’t had your first BreastCheck screen, you can check you are on our register at hse.ie/BreastCheck, Freephone 1800 45 45 55 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email us at [email protected]

Free home STI testing

The HSE has launched the free national home STI testing service, which is now available in all 26 counties in Ireland. Anyone aged 17 and over can now order a free home STI test kit on the online platform by visiting www.sexualwellbeing.ie.

Quit

The HSE is inviting people who smoke to take the 28-day no smoking challenge this October and join thousands of others who have already quit smoking in 2022. For free advice and support to quit smoking this October. Sign up here.

Health service information for Ukrainian nationals

• Updated mental health supports information is here.
• Disability services information is here.
• Healthcare services information is here.
• COVID-19 information is here.
• COVID-19 vaccination video, Dr Oksana Kozdoba, a Pediatrician from Ukraine, shares information about the vaccination programme in Ireland. She covers the vaccines offered in Ireland to protect babies, school children and adults.

Stay safe.

COVID-19 is still with us. These are important things that we can all keep doing to help reduce infection:

• Isolate if you are symptomatic (even if you are fully vaccinated and boosted) or if you are diagnosed with COVID-19.
• If you have symptoms, stay at home until 48 hours after symptoms resolve.
• Complete your primary and booster programme of vaccination.
• Continue to manage risk for yourself and others who are more vulnerable. You can do this by wearing masks, physical distancing and avoiding crowds as well as maintaining basic hand and respiratory hygiene.

 

Public Health Information

For updated information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/. Clinical and professional guidance relating to COVID-19 is available on www.hpsc.ie where you’ll find up to date guidance for healthcare settings and non-clinical settings.

Please check here for partner resources for COVID-19.

You can find translated resources here.

You can find the COVID-19 A-Z information here from the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).

You can view the latest information on how Ireland is responding to cases of COVID-19 here.

Ireland’s COVID-19 Data Hub is available here.