THE Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) is calling for a free influenza vaccination program for children aged two to 12-years, to be extended to include teenagers.
The push comes amid reports that uptake of the nasal vaccine has been lower than anticipated, with the IPU warning that a significant proportion of the 600,000 doses ordered by the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) will expire unused if the age range for the free vaccination is not increased, thejournal.ie reports.
With the country experiencing a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, IPU Committee Member, Jonathon Morrissey, said it was important to boost flu vaccination rates across the country.
"It is very concerning that there has been such a low uptake in parents getting their children vaccinated, despite a very high-profile campaign by the HSE advertising that the vaccine is available for free to children," he said.
"We currently can't stop COVID-19 but we can stop flu.
"We should all do what we can to protect our health service and the vulnerable members of our community.
"Reducing the risk of children and teenagers spreading flu is one important step."
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