Flu vaccine rates are “disappointing” this winter season, a senior health official has said.
Director of Public Health Dr Joanne McClean outlined the level of uptake of flu jabs to date among healthcare staff and vulnerable people before the Stormont Assembly Health Committee.
She said the low flu vaccine uptake rate of 6.4% among home care workers was “really” disappointing.
“It is disappointing that our numbers haven’t been as high as they have been in previous years,” she said of the overall rates on Tuesday.
“We have done a lot to promote the vaccine through social media, media appearances … ministers have been on.
“Any support that we can get from elected representatives encouraging people to come forward is great, because I do think, while we do think we have reached and just passed the peak, we still have a fair bit to run on this flu season.”
Minister for Health Mike Nesbitt said: “Vaccine hesitancy is a thing, and it’s not specific to Northern Ireland.”
Ms McClean added that colleagues in England, Scotland, Wales and in Ireland all report seeing a similar trend of “less enthusiasm” about vaccination and a difficulty in getting “the uptake that we would have had in the past”.
Outlining the vaccination rates across Northern Ireland to date, Ms McClean said there was a 71.2% uptake rate in the over-65s.
She said as you look at an older age cohort, the rate of vaccination increases.
“And that’s good, because the people who are most likely to become sick are the older people,” Ms McClean said.
Among care home residents, described as “a very high-risk group”, there was an uptake rate of almost 80%.
“Care home staff, unfortunately, is very disappointing, at 6.4%, so really disappointing numbers among our care home staff,” she said.
The rate was just under 18% among health and social care workers overall.
Among people aged under-65 who have underlying conditions, around 99,000 have been vaccinated, which is roughly estimated to be around 40% of the total group.
More than 100,000 children in primary schools, almost 60,000 children in post-primary schools, and just over 2,360 pregnant women have also been vaccinated.