HSE’s winter vaccination programme begins

The HSE’s national and regional  winter vaccination programmes began this week with the rollout of both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines. 

All those aged 60 years and older and anyone aged 6 months and older with an underlying medical condition or a weak immune system are recommended to get both a flu and COVID-19 vaccine this autumn/winter.

All healthcare workers and all children aged 2-17 years are recommended to get the flu vaccine.

All pregnant women are also recommended to get the flu vaccine, as pregnancy increases the risk of complications from flu infection.

Both flu and COVID-19 vaccines are available free of charge from participating GPs and pharmacies and can be given at the same time or at any time interval.

HSE vaccination teams will also provide both vaccines for people living in residential care facilities, including nursing homes as well as to housebound patients.

Healthcare worker vaccination clinics will take place in many workplaces across the country.

The children’s nasal spray flu vaccine will be available free for all children aged 2 to 17 years from GPs and Pharmacies and some children will be offered the vaccine in school.

The nasal spray flu vaccine is safe, effective and painless.

Flu and COVID-19 are serious illnesses.

They can lead to severe complications, hospitalisations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths.

Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and those around you.

Last winter, almost 6,500 people were hospitalised with flu. Over 2,000 people were hospitalised with COVID-19. We know that vaccination offers the best possible protection against serious illness and hospitalisations.

Regional Director of Public Health for Dublin and Midlands, Dr Fionnuala Cooney said “It is recommended to get a flu vaccine each year at the start of the season.

“Every year the circulating flu viruses change, so each year the composition of the flu vaccine is changed to provide protection from the new strains of the virus.

“The flu vaccine available this year is a trivalent flu vaccine, which protects against the three strains of flu virus expected to circulate this winter.”

Eileen Whelan, Regional Director of Nursing and Midwifery added: “As a healthcare worker you are 10 times more likely to get the flu compared to the general public. You can get very unwell with flu and you may get serious complications even if you have no underlying medical conditions.”

In addition, HSE RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) immunisation clinics for babies born in the six-month period from 1 March 2025 to 31 August 2025 remain open until 12 October.

Parents of babies born in this period can book an appointment at a local community site on the RSV Immunisation page of the HSE website https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/rsv/immunisation/.

Parents of babies born from 1 September to 28 February 2026 will be offered the immunisation in their maternity hospital before they leave.

Dr Augustine Pereira, Director of Public Health & Winter Resilience Lead said “Nirsevimab, is a monoclonal antibody that starts working as soon as the baby receives the injection and protects against RSV for 150 days, covering the very early period in a baby’s life when they are most vulnerable to serious RSV related illness.”

Dr Pereira added, “As well as protecting young babies against serious illness, the RSV immunisation programme will help safeguard vital hospital paediatric services during the very busy winter months by limiting preventable admissions caused by RSV related illness.”

To see which vaccines are recommended for you, visit hse.ie/flu or hse.ie/covid19vaccine, call HSELive on 1800 700 700, or speak to a participating GP or pharmacy.

To read more about RSV, visit- https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/rsv/