Date: January 2022 | By Dr Una Kennedy.

The following people are eligible to receive the HSE flu and covid vaccine free of charge:

• People 65 years of age or over for flu vaccine and over 50 years of age for covid vaccine.
• Children aged 2-12 years of age for flu vaccine.
• Pregnant women.
• Residents of nursing homes, old people’s homes, and other long stay facilities where rapid spread is likely to follow introduction of infection.
• Healthcare workers.
• Household contacts of people with underlying chronic health conditions or Downs Syndrome.
• Out-of-home care givers for people who have an underlying chronic health condition or have Down syndrome.
• People in regular contact with pigs, poultry, or waterfowl.
• All those aged 6-23 months and 18-64 years at increased risk of influenza-related complications such as:

Those with the following conditions:


• Chronic heart disease (including acute coronary syndrome).
• Chronic liver disease.
• Chronic neurological disease (where the neurological condition compromises clearance of respiratory secretions).
• Chronic renal failure.
• Chronic respiratory disease (including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, moderate or severe asthma, and broncho-pulmonary dysplasia).
• Diabetes mellitus.
• Haemoglobinopathies.
• Those with immunosuppression due to disease or treatment, including asplenia or hypersplenism, and all cancer patients.
• Those with any condition that can compromise respiratory function (eg spinal cord injury, seizure disorder, or other neuro-muscular disorder).
• Children and adults with Down Syndrome.
• Children with moderate neuro-developmental disorders such as cerebral palsy and intellectual disability.
• Children on long-term aspirin therapy (because of risk of Reye syndrome)
• Those with morbid obesity (BMI>40).