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Ireland’s first formal flu vaccination clinic opened in Cork this weekend as the number of Covid cases in Ireland increased.
Cork’s GP, Dr. Mike Thompson, established the clinic in the hope that vaccinating large numbers of people against the flu quickly, safely and conveniently will alleviate the pressure faced by the health service during the winter months.
Dr. Thompson said that last winter had been “pretty hellish” even though there was no particularly serious flu outbreak and there was no coronavirus to deal with.
Any steps that can be taken to ease the pressure on hospitals and GPs will be welcome as the country enters an uncertain winter.
On Saturday, it was announced that another 1,012 Covid-19 cases had been confirmed and that there have been three more Covid-related deaths.
At 2:00 p.m. this Saturday, 199 Covid-19 patients are hospitalized, of which 31 are in the ICU.
Cork represents 112 of the current cases.
Dr. Thompson commented that the published figures were “chilling.”
He said the numbers would continue to rise for about a week before they start to decline as we begin to see the result of the recently introduced restrictions.
“We are all fatigued. Of course we are, we are only human.”
Dr. Thompson said the tough numbers remind all of us to redouble our efforts and continue to do the best we can.
One thing people can do, in addition to following public health guidelines, is get vaccinated against seasonal flu. However, there is concern about this year’s supply, as there is unprecedented demand.
The self-service clinic established by Dr. Thompson, with the help of the army who erected a large tent, was booked on Saturday.
Dr. Thompson and three colleagues delivered all the vaccines available to them at the Midleton clinic.
Several children received their vaccinations, but it was all smiles, as there is no needle for them. Children between the ages of two and 12 are recommended to get vaccinated using a nasal spray.
Even though appointments are booked in advance online, Dr. Thompson said that several people came hoping to get vaccinated.
The GP estimates that they had to turn 112 people away because the available vaccines had already been administered.
The clinic was initially expected to run every weekend for a total of eight weeks, but as there is no supply, this will not be the case.
The next clinic will be held on Saturday, October 31 and then, depending on availability of supplies, another will be held in mid-November.
Dr. Thompson said that it is extremely difficult to plan ahead as they are not sure how many vaccines will be available to them.
The clinic, if it had the required number of vaccines, is capable of delivering 600 vaccines per day.
If this could be done for eight weekends, that would mean 4,800 people in the area would be vaccinated against the flu.
By giving the vaccine in a condensed clinic like this one, it means that fewer people will go to their local GP for the flu shot, freeing up those appointments for other patients.
Dr. Thompson said that many GPs across the country conduct after-hours clinics and most are eager to conduct these types of clinics.
Despite the current supply shortage, Dr. Thompson is confident that those who really need the flu vaccine will get it this year.
HSE’s actions have been limited to the most vulnerable patients: those over 65; pregnant women; all health workers, including administrative staff; those with long-term illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and asthma; Children 2-12 years; and those in close contact with someone with a long-term condition.
According to Dr. Thompson, this year there has been less flu in the southern hemisphere.
As people continue to practice social distancing and proper hand washing and cough / sneeze etiquette, this is expected to provide some protection against the spread of the flu this year as well.
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