Healthwise: Dear Doctor Dara

In her monthly column, Dr Dara Hume answers readers' questions on all matters health...

Hi everyone, and thanks for all your questions. They are much appreciated, and have given me lots of food for thought indeed. Given the month that's in it, I thought I'd concentrate on vaccine-related questions, given that our surgeries have now taken delivery of both the annual Influenza vaccine, and also the Covid booster vaccines. Busy times ahead!

Flu vaccine

Dear Dr Dara, I'm 82. Should I get the flu vaccine as well as the Covid booster this year?

- Liam from Carrigallen

The answer to that is absolutely Liam, and it is actively to be encouraged in anyone over 80 years, and to those over 65 in a residential care setting like nursing homes, care homes etc.

We are giving our over 80 year olds their COVID-19 booster shots this coming Friday, along with their flu vaccine, and the excitement is already building again! This group of men and women have been so valiant during the past 20 months, and this booster is to ensure their ongoing safety during the coming Winter months and beyond.

We're learning all the time with Covid and certainly the scientific community worldwide continue to work on our behalf and lead the way out of this pandemic with the excellent vaccination programme that has taken place in Ireland and beyond.

The additional Covid vaccine is only recommended for severely immunocompromised people, as it not a booster as such, but a chance for their immune system to mount an adequate response to vaccination. For other people with underlying conditions, there is no need to receive an additional dose. However for those in all age groups, we recommend the flu vaccine (and also the five-year Pneumonia vaccine to anyone with underlying health conditions if they haven't already received it).

Again, Covid shots can be given with flu/pneumonia vaccines. You Liam will get yours through your GP or neighbouring GP as you are over 80, but all patients can get their flu vaccine from their GP, who has all their previous records as well. I hope you continue to stay hale and hearty Liam, and continue to contribute to your local newspaper!

Vaccine hesitancy

I'm in my 50's and healthy, and I've been wary all along of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. I suppose I've been a wee bit stubborn in my thinking as well, until a close family member, who also wasn't vaccinated, became extremely ill and hospitalised with Covid.

I'm wondering should I still get vaccinated?

- Helen from Virginia

Thanks for that Helen. I'm sorry to hear about your family member, and I wish them a speedy and hopefully complete recovery in time. COVID-19 is a nasty and serious disease, and its effects can be long-standing. We have no way of knowing who will be severely affected, (although immune compromised people are most at risk of severe disease). Indeed I have had a number of very fit healthy adults in my practice with symptoms lasting for months following the disease.

It's never too late to get vaccinated, in particular as the Delta variant is still so prevalent, and so contagious. You can apply though the hse.ie website, and receive your vaccine via the Mass Vaccination Clinics.

Can I please implore you Helen to look up scientific data only www.immunisation.ie and www.hse.ie/covid19vaccine for reputable information from our scientific leaders (not Facebook/Youtube/other social media). As health care workers, we are scientifically trained, and I have certainly trusted the above websites during the past 20 months of this global pandemic, to guide my team through keeping our patients as safe as possible in these turbulent times.

Send your questions to: deardrdara@anglocelt.ie