The IPA encourages parents & guardians to join in ‘Flunion’ this Winter to protect their children & others by getting the free nasal flu vaccine
In a recent survey, commissioned by the Irish Patients Association, it has been revealed that 56% of Irish parents stated that their children have missed school days in the past year due to flu or flu-like conditions, which has an negative impact on their children’s learning opportunities and has forced 1 in 5 parents to rely more on grandparents for childcare when their children are ill.
Almost half of parents (49%) stated that the biggest impact of missed school days was their children missing learning opportunities and 24% cited that missing school activities was an issue too.
However, it seems that many parents are hesitant to get the winter flu vaccine for their children, with 53% of those surveyed revealing they hesitated to get their children the winter flu vaccine in the last year. This has increased from survey results in 2023, which found that 44% hesitated to get the vaccine. While the research indicates that hesitation has increased this year this seems to be driven by time constraints on parents with 17% of those surveyed admitting that a lack the time was one of the reasons why they hesitated in getting their child vaccinated last year.
The Irish Patients Association is urging parents & guardians to avail of the free nasal flu vaccine for their children and is asking them to join in ‘Flunion’ in the battle against the flu this winter. In getting the free vaccine parents & guardians are not only protecting their children but they are also protecting the wider community too. It can also help to alleviate missed school days too!
The survey also found that half of respondents saw their GP up to 3 times as a result of flu-like symptoms in the past year and 1 in 10 admitted they had to visit their GP 4+ times over this period. Also, noted was the delay with being able to access a GP appointment with 49% of respondents experiencing delays of at least a day or more.
Speaking about the research, Consultant in Emergency Medicine & Prehospital Doctor, Dr. Lisa Cunningham, commented, “It’s encouraging to see that there is an increase awareness among parents as to the seriousness of the influenza virus, including the complications it can cause. What we would encourage is for parents to avail of the many opportunities to get the influenza nasal spray protection. Pharmacists are the corner stone for community influenza vaccination for children, with appointments in many community pharmacies easier to access for parents. The schools are rolling out the influenza programme also which is currently underway. Of course, GPs are also providing this free service.”
Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patients Association, said, “The research shows that families are greatly impacted by flu and flu like condition and that an issue for parents when it comes to vaccination is time constraints. Therefore, we want to make it as easy as possible for parents and guardians to access the vaccination. It is very quick and easy to receive and free from local GPs or pharmacies, so parents / guardians can arrange an appointment at a time that works for them.”
The IPA’s ’flunion’ campaign, which is kindly supported by AstraZeneca, aims to highlight the importance of the child’s flu vaccine, which is available free of charge from local GPs and pharmacies throughout the country. The vaccine will not only help protect children aged 2 – 17 years from the flu but by joining together in ‘flunion’ to get vaccinated it will also help the greater community ahead of the onset of flu. For further information, please visit www.irishparients.ie
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