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A TOTAL OF 34 people have died so far from the flu this season, the HSE announced today.
The number of cases of flu continued to rise over the past week, but officials are hopeful that it will now peak.
Close to 4,700 people presented with the flu over the past week, with the incident rate of slightly over 100 people per 100,000 of population.
Speaking at a briefing today, HSE assistant national director for public health and child health Dr Kevin Kelleher said that the flu season was currently in its sixth week.
He said that the season was likely to last longer that last year’s, with an estimation of 12 weeks before levels return to normal.
He said that it was hoped that despite the flu season being likely to last longer this year, current trends were suggesting that the number of deaths may be lower than normal.
Despite hopes that incidences of the virus had peaked, it was announced today that the number of people presenting with flu was still rising.
The deaths were across all different age groups. Most of the cases had underlying health conditions – but not all of them.
Dr Kelleher said that this year’s flu season had been the fifth worst in 17 years.
People have been advised still to get a flu vaccine.
In particular, anyone over the age of 65, those under the age of 65 with an underlying condition, those working in healthcare and pregnant women are all told to get the vaccine.
Everyone else is also advised to get vaccinated if they wish.
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No point getting the flu vaccination if it doesn’t prevent flu. Cost me €15 two months ago and I got a bad dose last week.
@David: The flu vaccine only covers certain strains of the virus. They cannot predict them all and therefore cannot vaccinate for all of them. You may have actually avoided a much worse virus than the one you got. Well worth the money I’d say.
@Criodán Ó Murchú: Do I know you?
@David: Of you describe It as a bad dose then it probably wasn’t influenza. If you do have it the memories of the pain last a lifetime. Of course you might have been exposed to it and the vaccination lessened the symptoms.
@Patrick J. O’Rourke: actually I was told that while there is a vaccination for the flu I got our government didn’t purchase it due to cost reasons.
@David: you were told wrong.
@David: I’ve never had the flu jab but my father did about 5 years ago. He has always looked after himself well but was advised as he was in his 70′s. He would not take that vaccine again “for love nor money” as he said himself. Why? He got the flu.
@David: takes 2 weeks to be effective. You already had the virus before you got the vaccine. Don’t dismiss years of empirical medical research based on your anecdote
@Patrick J. O’Rourke: Oh boy do I agree and remember. There is tamiflu which you can also take as a preventative.
@David: 34 does not seem a dreadful amount to have died. How many might have died in previous years?
@David: and me. Absolutely useless. It only prevents virus A not B and B is the one around now.
@Deirdre D’Arcy Murphy: Both A and B are in circulation. Both.
@David: no point in using your seatbelt as there is no guarantee it will save your life, right?
@Seth Cheffetz: Seth, you’re wasting your time most people don’t understand statistics.
@David: No David, I don’t believe you do.
Anyone over the age of 65 and those under the age of 65?
@Pauliebhoy: Yes 2 B sure.
@Pauliebhoy: with an underlying conditions
Quick sheeple run out get the flu injections because big pharma want to scare you into it . OMG how did our parents ever survive is beyond me . Wise up
@James Reilly: You lost me at big pharma.
@FlyingDogThing: CLUE : ‘Big pharma’ is not some burly lad from Mayo.
try the so called “spanish” flu of 1917 Really imported from the USA with the troops but they didnt want the Austrians/Germans to know. Killed more than 17 millian in Europe.
@James Reilly: ” how did our parents ever survive” a huge amount of them didn’t
@James Reilly: You realise the people that died in childhood in times past wouldn’t have had children themselves? By choosing “all our parents” you’re automatically excluding all the people who did die from preventable infection.
You might as well ask “how many people who survived to adulthood and were healthy enough to have their own kids, died in childhood”. None of them!
This is only one reason why your comment is irresponsible and wrong.
@James Reilly:
Clue number 2:
50-100 million of them didn’t in 1918. Just like millions died from smallpox before there was a smallpox vaccine.
Seeing a pattern emerging here?
@Peter Wheen: Ah Peter, that went straight over James’s head. KISS.
Me and my family currently have the flu! It really is an awful dose
@Caroline Reid: Get well soon. My friends had it over Christmas, it’s bad all right.
@Caroline Reid: Why didn’t you get vaccinated. Will you in future?
Soon there won’t be any antiviral available to kill off this virus. Then there’ll be a pandemic. Nature culling the human population.
@Paul Mc Manus: then the zombies rule the earth
Harsh but true,Natural selection,dont bother with big pharma snake oils.
Level of misinformation reading these comments is astounding. The flu vaccine of course helps. The HSE really needs to work on their comms though and provide accurate information with realistic expectations so people can make an educated decision. I heard anywhere from 70% to 30% effective and very little feedback on strains covered and not covered. Give people the full facts to help avoid some of these idiotic comments.
Im lucky. Havent had to anti biotic meself for near 8 years. It sort of comes down to your diet and relative fitness as well. Its not my genes. Its my habits. Being active and an appropriate amount of fresh food and fruit.
But by god I love a frozen pizza every so often….
@Finn Faulkner: Bye the bye my deepest sympathies to family members who have lost loved ones to this brutal flu, it can hit like a freight train and recover can take a long time.
Hot water with Lemon juice grated ginger and honey is all i wll recommend. Hope we can get through this years cold snap without anymore grief.
@Finn Faulkner: BS
@Finn Faulkner: you can’t use antibiotics on the flu as it’s a virus. Antibiotics only effective on secondary infections.
have your say