Dublin, October 2023 – *New research from the Irish Patients Association (IPA) reveals that 4 in 10 parents hesitate to get their children the free winter flu vaccine. Despite 1,274 children being hospitalised with the virus during the flu season last year, over a quarter of parents perceive the winter flu as not having serious consequences for their children. In response to this, Mayo GAA Star Aidan O’Shea, and Pharmacist Laura Dowling and Professor of Immunology Christine Loscher have joined forces with the IPA to launch the ‘Flunited’ campaign, urging parents to protect their children from flu this winter.

The ‘Flunited’ campaign, a portmanteau of “flu” and “united, emphasizes the importance of the children’s flu vaccine this winter, rallying parents and guardians to unite with the ‘Flunited’ team to combat the annual flu outbreak as a collective effort! The campaign aims to highlight that for young children sometimes the consequences of flu can be serious and can lead to problems such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). So, driving awareness of these consequences and the free access they have to this vaccine is key.¹

The children’s flu vaccine, administered as a free nasal spray to of all children 2-12 and children aged 13-17 at high risk of flu, is accessible at local GPs, participating pharmacies, and, for the first time this year, in participating schools across the country. 

Alarming Statistics

During the 2022/2023 flu season, a staggering 1,274 children were hospitalized with the virus. Despite these alarming statistics, recent research conducted by Empathy Research on behalf of IPA has revealed that over 4 in 10 parents (44%) hesitate to vaccinate their children against winter flu.

Professor of Immunology Christine Loscher says, “Children are twice as likely to catch flu as adults.² Children with complications may need hospital treatment. Some may need intensive care. In the past 10 years in Ireland, almost 5,000 children were admitted to hospital with complications of flu. Almost 200 children had treatment in intensive care and 40 children died.³ So it’s key parents are aware of the risks.”

During the 2022/2023 flu season,
a staggering 1,274 children were
hospitalized with the virus.

Research Findings:

IPA’s research with Empathy Research uncovered insights into parental attitudes toward the children’s flu vaccine:

• Females (49%) exhibit a higher likelihood of hesitancy compared to males (38%)
• Parents aged 34-44 (53%) and those in Connacht/Ulster (56%) are more likely to express hesitancy.
• Over 6 in 10 parents who hesitated (62%) expressed concerns about potential adverse reactions, while just over a quarter (26%) believed that the flu does not have serious consequences in children.
• More than half (51%) of parents reported that their children missed school days in the last year due to flu or its complications. The impact of these missed school days includes significant learning opportunities lost (57%) and parents having to take time off work to care for their children (36%)

Awareness of Flu Consequences: 

• Slightly over half (51%) of parents are aware that flu can have severe consequences in children, such as ear or respiratory infections.
• More than three-quarters (77%) of parents are aware that children are significant flu spreaders, capable of longer contagious periods compared to adults.
• Professor of Immunology Christine Loscher added, “Children are twice as likely to catch flu as adults.⁴ Children with complications may need hospital treatment. Some may need intensive care. In the past 10 years in Ireland, almost 5,000 children were admitted to hospital with complications of flu. Almost 200 children had treatment in intensive care and 40 children died. So it’s key parents are aware of the risks.”

Speaking at the campaign launch, Aidan O’Shea said: “As a Dad I know everyday life is disrupted when children are sick. This impacts not only their well-being but parents’ work, routine, and kids’ education. We all have a responsibility to stop the spread. So don’t let the flu take the field – Join Flunited’s winning team!”

Pharmacist Laura Dowling, who has amassed a large following on social media for her humorous, informative posts, reassured parents, “The children’s flu vaccine is administered as a quick and virtually painless nasal spray in each nostril taking less than six seconds providing robust protection.”

Stephen McMahon, Irish Patients Association, strongly advocated for collective action, “Together, we will guarantee a robust, flu-free season for schools and households throughout the nation.”

The ‘Flunited’ campaign,, seeks to empower parents and guardians with the knowledge and resources they need to safeguard their children and communities against the flu.

This flu season, all children aged 2-12 years will be offered the flu vaccine free of charge at participating schools, pharmacies, and GP practices. Children aged 13-17 at high risk of flu can also get the children’s nasal flu vaccine for free. Please speak with your pharmacist or GP to see if your child is eligible.

Some primary school children will be offered the free nasal flu vaccine in school by HSE vaccination teams. You will be contacted about this by your local team. The HSE also reassures parents that children can safely receive the flu vaccine alongside other recommended vaccines.

This campaign is funded by AstraZeneca Ireland.

[1] https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/flu/childrens-flu-vaccine/
[2] HSE launches children’s free nasal spray flu vaccination programme for children aged 2-12 years – HSE.ie
[3] Children’s flu vaccine – HSE.ie
[4] HSE launches children’s free nasal spray flu vaccination programme for children aged 2-12 years – HSE.ie

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Every day is a challenge when a family member is diagnosed with a rare disease. It impacts the whole family, not just the person affected by the condition.

Sarah is 10 years old. At the age of 3, she was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). This is a rare neurological condition, which causes tumours to grow along the nervous system. NF1 tumours typically grow on the brain, spinal cord and nerves.  

How a rare condition impacts families 

Sarah required frequent hospital appointments, which led to her mother leaving full-time employment to provide the care she needed. When Sarah was 6 years old, she was diagnosed with a tumour on her optic nerve. This was a difficult time for her and her family as she needed chemotherapy to shrink the tumour.  

Treatment was difficult on her young body; she was sick regularly and required 24-hour care. Thankfully, treatment was successful, and her tumour is now stable. However, she suffered a significant loss of sight due to the tumour.  

Living with NF1 impacts the family as a whole. Sarah’s home has been adapted to suit her needs, which has put a financial burden on her family. Sarah’s siblings made big sacrifices as a rare family. Her young sisters, on many occasions, had to adjust to their mother’s absence as she stayed in hospital with Sarah.  

As an extremely rare condition, how it
will impact her in later life is unpredictable.

Restrictions and uncertainty 

Coping with their sister’s condition has also been challenging, with them needing family counselling. Family outings and holidays are restricted as it can be difficult to find activities and accommodations with adequate accessibility.  

Sarah’s future is uncertain. She will be more prone to tumour growth as she grows and enters puberty, as these tumours are sensitive to hormones. NF1 is a progressive condition requiring frequent monitoring throughout life. As an extremely rare condition, how it will impact her in later life is unpredictable. Due to her cognitive delays, sight loss and chances of developing hard-to-treat, debilitating tumours, Sarah will likely need continuous support for life.  

Support and education for rare families 

Sarah and her family have received little support. Even with one wage, they often have to pay for private appointments to care for their family’s needs. They are also members of Rare Ireland, a charity run by rare disease parents to provide financial and emotional support to rare families in Ireland.  

Through Rare Ireland, they have met other NF1 families, reducing the isolation they experienced throughout their journey. Such communities emphasise the importance of understanding conditions like NF1. Families, like Sarah’s, need more information and support to guide them. 

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New technology and state-of-the-art design will help take paediatric care in Ireland to a new level as a children’s hospital prepares to open in Ireland.

Currently 90% complete with the first patients expected to be admitted in 2025, the new children’s hospital will centralise paediatric care in Dublin, bringing 39 specialities together in one centre. Leading the team charged with ensuring the move goes as smoothly as possible is Julia Lewis, Transformation Director for Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), which is a statutory body established in 2018 to oversee the development of specialist acute paediatric hospital services. 

Hospitals collaborating to enhance children’s health 

Established in 2019, CHI saw Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin; Temple Street Children’s University Hospital; and paediatric services at Tallaght University Hospitals integrate into one organisation to move to a new children’s hospital. 

“We are combining the three existing hospitals and putting them into one state-of-the-art hospital,” says Lewis. “We expect this to be a world-class facility and a technologically advanced and digitally enhanced hospital — and the first truly electronic hospital in Ireland.” That sees the introduction of electronic healthcare records, allowing patients and families to interact with clinicians in real time. 

Wards are designed in pods of eight to give
a ‘homely’ feel, and all in-patient rooms will
be single ensuites with a parent bed in each.

Technology and child-friendly design 

Technology in the new hospital — which also includes new paediatric outpatient and urgent care centres — sees automated guidance vehicles delivering meals, medicines and linen to wards and departments. 

Wards are designed in pods of eight to give a ‘homely’ feel, and all in-patient rooms will be single ensuites with a parent bed in each. Thirty parent beds have been added to the intensive care unit.  

Artwork and images are based around nature and nurture to provide an environment to spark the imagination of the children and provide distractions from clinical procedures. “The importance of play in a paediatric hospital cannot be underestimated, so we also have a lot of play spaces in the building,” Lewis says. 

Theatre capacity will increase with the hope of eradicating operating theatre waiting lists. 

“We are also introducing surgical daycare and an observation unit attached to the emergency department,” Lewis adds. One of the aims of the patient and parent-friendly hospital is to keep stays for children short and avoid overnight admissions where possible. 

Facilities for children and families 

Co-located on the St James’s Hospital Campus, the site will include a paediatric academic health sciences centre, with universities providing a centre of excellence for training and education to provide healthcare professionals for the future workforce. Lewis says staff are enthusiastic about the new hospital and the switch to state-of-the-art technology. “That will be transformational and release more time to care and interact with children and families,” she says.  

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As we head into winter, it is important that children are protected from the flu. Flu can be dangerous in children, especially the younger ones. The nasal spray flu vaccine will give children the best protection from flu.

Children aged 2 to 12 will be able to get the free nasal spray flu vaccine from participating GPs and pharmacies from October. HSE teams will also be visiting schools to offer the vaccine to senior infants.  

Children are twice as likely to catch flu as adults  

Flu is highly infectious, and anyone can catch the virus. However, we know that children are twice as likely to catch the flu as adults and can be very sick with flu. Younger children, in particular, are at an increased risk of serious illness. 

While most children who catch the flu have mild symptoms, it can sometimes lead to serious problems such as pneumonia or bronchitis. Children, especially younger children, are also more likely than adults to develop severe complications of flu.  

Approximately 1 in 10 children under
the age of 15 attend their GP with
flu-like illness in a typical flu season.

Symptoms and consequences of flu in children 

Common symptoms of flu in children include high temperature, muscle pains, headache and fatigue. We tend to see the highest incidence rates in younger children. Approximately 1 in 10 children under the age of 15 attend their GP with flu-like illness in a typical flu season. Children who are sick with flu, even with mild symptoms, can miss days in crèche, childcare and school. They can also miss out on their usual hobbies and sports. 

Safe, easy and pain-free vaccine 

Getting the nasal spray flu vaccine is a safe, easy and pain-free way to protect your child from flu this winter. The vaccinator will give the nasal flu vaccine by spraying it once into each of the child’s nostrils.  

The nasal spray flu vaccine helps your child’s immune system produce antibodies that fight infection. It cannot give your child the flu. If your child has had the flu vaccine, and they come into contact with a flu virus, these antibodies will help them fight the flu and reduce the risk of them getting sick or needing to go to the hospital. 

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Researchers want to hear from parents regarding child and adolescent obesity. By sharing their experiences, they can help improve the design and delivery of obesity services for children and adolescents in Ireland.

Obesity is a chronic relapsing condition where there is excessive build-up of fat tissue in the body, causing health complications. Fat tissue is stored in many different cells and organs in the body, which can sometimes damage the health and function of those organs.

We screen for childhood obesity using child growth charts. A diagnosis is given following a clinical assessment to determine whether, or how, the health of the child or adolescent is impacted.

Child and adolescent obesity in Ireland

It is estimated that around 9% of children and adolescents in the Republic of Ireland are living with obesity. Many require treatment to improve their health during childhood and to prevent the progression of health problems and disability into adulthood.

Around 48% of children and teenagers with obesity accessing care have high blood pressure. Around 10% have high blood sugar levels, and over 70% have difficulties with joint pain or movement. Treatment requires a long-term approach and involves nutrition, exercise and behavioural therapies. Some adolescents also require pharmacotherapies and access to surgical therapies, which are considered life and sight-saving.

It is estimated that around 9% of children
and adolescents in the Republic of
Ireland are living with obesity.

Accessing treatment in Ireland

Treatment is limited in Ireland, however, HSE investment in 2023 is a positive step towards implementation of the HSE Model of Care for the Management of Obesity. The National Complex Obesity Service treats those with complex obesity in Children’s Health Ireland, and the service is an accredited European Centre for Excellence. Community services are also being developed. Over time, all children in Ireland will be able to access care when needed.

Improving healthcare response to obesity

The LANDSCAPE Project is supported by a Health Research Board-applied partnership award between Dr Grace O’Malley, RCSI and Sarah O’Brien, HSE Health and Wellbeing Division. The project aims to map current clinical practices in Ireland related to the treatment of obesity in children/adolescents.

The project is providing valuable insight on how to improve obesity treatment services in Ireland by collaborating with frontline health professionals, healthcare managers, carers, parents and their children. We are currently recruiting parents, carers and teenagers in Ireland to learn from their views and perspectives via online questionnaires and interviews. We need the help of all parents in Ireland.

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Amanda Creane

Healthcare Manager, GS1 Ireland

Healthcare providers and patients are increasingly benefiting from more easily traceable medical products, thanks to standardised barcode technology.

With millions of patients vaccinated against Covid-19 in Ireland, traceability — from manufacturing batches to point of vaccination — became one of the key tenets of a smooth and successful vaccination campaign. The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), the unique identifier embedded in the barcode was created 50 years ago and has transformed the way industry and supply chains operate around the world. The GTIN is licensed by GS1, a not-for-profit global standards organisation with membership from retail, healthcare and many other sectors.

Product traceability for safer healthcare

“Healthcare providers are now seeing the benefits of Scan4Safety or point-of-care scanning to enhance traceability. Meaning, once you scan the barcode of a product given to a patient, you have complete traceability, explains Siobhain Duggan, Director of Innovation and Healthcare at the organisation.

GS1 Ireland is working to embed a more standardised approach to Scan4Safety with the Health Services Executive. Patient safety and operational and supply chain efficiencies are key hallmarks of the standardised approach.

Once you scan the barcode of a product given
to a patient you have complete traceability.

Visibility across the healthcare system

Amanda Creane, the organisation’s Healthcare Manager says: “The scan of a barcode allows people to exchange data in real time, meaning that there is no wasted time looking over patient lists during product recalls or even when planning for the week ahead.” This is possible when every product, location, staff member and patient has a unique identification number.

This is why hospitals, such as Children’s Health Ireland in Dublin, are using the barcode technology to track their infant feeds. Equally, surgical trays and endoscopes across Ireland are tracked using barcode standards to ensure compliance with best practice and full traceability in the event of a recall.

Enabling quick response for patient safety

“Hospitals need to know what is happening to make informed decisions. If they can monitor activity in real time with Scan4Safety, they can quickly react to any issue,” explains Siobhain Duggan. For instance, clinical staff at Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) were spending a large proportion of their time per week managing inventory. 

This was taking valuable clinical time away from patient care, and they found that they had little visibility into what item was used and with what patient. This posed a significant risk to patient safety. Scan4Safety has now been rolled out to all theatres in TUH, which is both saving significant clinical time and enabling safer care for patients. The clinicians now have the information they need at the touch of a button.

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An occupational therapist highlights the many reasons why working in a multidisciplinary team providing treatment and care to children with disabilities is a highly rewarding job.

Occupational therapist Sheetal Gupta finds her job rewarding as she benefits from collaborating with specialists who share knowledge and expertise to enhance the wellbeing of children with disabilities.

Having a support system

Gupta is a member of the Children’s Disability Network Team for the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC), a voluntary organisation and national charity, which helps provide 75% of the disability services in Ireland. She says the ability to share opinions with other professionals is one of the most gratifying aspects of her role. “I also receive support from the clinic’s specialist services. For example, if I am stuck somewhere clinically, I can reach out to them. I feel really well-supported,” she adds.

Her breathing techniques have proven so
effective, and I have not seen my son’s hand
and arm as good as it is at the moment.

Multidisciplinary team of experts

Among the specialists she works alongside are social workers, psychotherapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. They cover a wide spectrum of complex diagnoses of autism, Down’s syndrome, and cerebral palsy. Patients may require help from multiple team members, depending on their needs.

“I could be the key worker for a particular patient, overseeing services the child requires and making referrals to other specialist services,” she says.

Rewards of being able to help

Gupta recently worked with an 11-year-old boy diagnosed with cerebral palsy. She conducted assessments related to tone and voluntary motor control. “He also had some underlying anxiety issues, as he was becoming aware of his differences from peers, particularly how his hand moved involuntarily,” she explains.

To alleviate his anxiety, Gupta introduced mindfulness techniques focusing on deep breathing exercises, and the results were amazing after the first session. Gupta shares an email from the 11-year-old boy’s mother: “Her aim is to relax my son and help him to train his brain to move his arm in the direction he wants to. Her breathing techniques have proven so effective, and I have not seen my son’s hand and arm as good as it is at the moment…’’ “Receiving feedback like that makes your day,” Gupta concludes.

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With autumn’s arrival, school routines and after-school activities are back in full swing. Unfortunately, this also means a higher likelihood of the winter flu spreading among children.

When children get sick, it disrupts not only their education and hobbies but also impacts parents’ work schedules and daily routines. The solution? The children’s flu vaccine will be available free to all children aged 2–12 in Ireland in early October. Those aged 3–17 who have an underlying condition are also eligible. The Irish Patients Association (IPA) is urging parents to book a slot with their GP or local pharmacy and avail of the vaccine, so fewer children and adults will be at risk of getting sick in the community.

Complications from flu infection 

Children are twice as likely as adults to get the flu. While most children who get the flu will have mild symptoms, some can develop complications —such as pneumonia, ear infections or bronchitis — which require GP visits, antibiotic prescriptions. Children, especially younger children, are also more likely than adults to suffer severe flu complications. Which could lead to hospitalisation in some cases. 

Flu can cause serious illness in children, and especially those with chronic health conditions are most at risk of severe flu complications. Children also carry the flu virus in their system longer than adults do. Therefore, it can spread easily to other children — like those in daycare centres and schools — and to older and vulnerable people around them.

Vaccination is key when it comes to protecting
others, like siblings, parents, grandparents
and those vulnerable to infection.

Don’t be left on the bench

This year, the IPA ‘Flunited’ campaign is back to highlight the importance of the children’s flu vaccine this winter. The campaign is encouraging parents and guardians of children aged 2–12 and those aged 3–17 with an underlying condition to join the Flunited team and make a collective effort to give flu the red card. Vaccination is key when it comes to protecting others, like siblings, parents, grandparents and those vulnerable to infection.

Book your children’s flu vaccine 

The children’s flu vaccine will be available in Ireland in early October. Parents are urged to pre-book their free appointment now with their GP or local pharmacy to ensure protection throughout the season.

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Children with intellectual disabilities in Ireland are being offered a unique opportunity to achieve proficiency in fundamental movement skills and compete.

The Young Athletes programme, part of Special Olympics Ireland, is aimed at children aged 4–12 and could ultimately see them compete at the highest levels. Alongside it, new initiatives to enable coaches to better deliver fundamental skills are being introduced. 

Sports for children with intellectual disabilities 

Hayley Kavanagh, Young Athletes Research and Development Coordinator for the national governing body of sport for people with intellectual disabilities, says: “Through the programme, we strive to improve all of the basic skills associated with being able to participate in sport and physical activity. 

“The aim is to provide children with the fundamental movement skills to enable them to move into one or more of the sports that Special Olympics Ireland offers once they reach 12 years of age.” Some examples of the sports available include football, basketball, golf, swimming, athletics, bocce and floorball. 

We want these children to stay involved in
sport for life and Special Olympics is a
vehicle in which to achieve this goal.

Improving health and competitiveness 

Kavanagh says there is evidence of low levels of fundamental movement skill proficiency in children, potentially down to increases in sedentary behaviour and screen time. She warns that if young children do not develop these skills, the likelihood of them staying involved in sport and physical activity into adulthood decreases. The effort is now on to change that culture and close the skills gap between typically developing children and children with intellectual disabilities. 

Driven to see more children join the Young Athletes programme, Kavanagh says: “We had a team of 73 athletes participate in the World Games in Berlin, so we want to give these children the best opportunity to participate at this high level. The key is for them to stay involved in sport because we see an increased risk of non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular disease and obesity among people with intellectual disabilities.”  

Specialised coaching and parental support  

Research also highlights gaps in providing sports coaches with relevant training and qualifications to deliver these skills. As a result, a new Young Athletes-specific course is being developed for coaches. 

Parents also have a role to play in sessions as some children need additional support. 

“That means the coach can focus solely on improving the fundamental movement skills,” she says. “It also builds the relationship between child and parent, and their perceptions of children change because they see the ability and competitiveness.”  

Across Ireland, there are currently 22 Young Athletes clubs and a further 189 community clubs for these children to progress into any sports. “We want these children to stay involved in sport for life, and Special Olympics is a vehicle in which to achieve this goal,” says Kavanagh. 

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Having a parent with a mental health challenge can have a very negative impact on children, both in the short and longer-term. However, a new programme in Ireland shows that there is support available to help these families.

Approximately one in five children (aged <18) live in families with a parent who has a mental health illness, and parental mental ill health typically affects the entire family.  

Impact of parental mental ill health on children and families

Research has shown that children of parents with a mental illness (PMI) have a 41%–77% lifetime risk of developing moderate to serious mental illness themselves, as well as other negative physical, psychological and social impacts. They are also five times more likely to use health and social services while 35%–60% are already in contact with mental health services before they reach the age of 18.

These children often feel overwhelmed, confused, fearful, worried and/or ashamed/stigmatised about their parent’s mental health issues, while many of the unwell parents report fear, guilt and stigma associated with their parenting role.  

What are we doing in Ireland to support these families?

In Ireland, unlike many other European countries, there is no service-related or policy guidance on how to identify and support these vulnerable families. As a result, they often remain ‘invisible’ and unsupported due to, for example, the typically segregated and crisis-oriented ways in which adult and child mental health services work and a lack of approaches/programmes that focus on the whole family as opposed to the treatment of any single family member in isolation.  

Why children need evidence-based support

“While the overwhelming majority of children living with an adult with mental health problems are loved and well cared for, that does not mean that the circumstances such children find themselves in … does not have an impact on them.” (Devaney et al., 2020).

So, what can we do to help? Our PRIMERA (Promoting Research and Innovation in Mental hEalth seRvices for fAmilies) research, funded by the HSE from 2017–2022, investigated how best we can support Irish families (with children <18) where a parent has a diagnosed mental illness.  

Approximately one in five children
(aged <18) live in families with a parent
who has a mental health illness.

Programme delivered by professionals

We identified, and then helped to implement, a US-developed programme called Family Talk (FT), which has been used in a number of countries across the world with positive results for both children and parents. This is a whole-family, seven-session, strengths-based (free) programme that can be delivered weekly by mental health clinicians (eg. social workers, family therapists, primary care psychologists) to help improve family understanding and communication around PMI and to enhance family resilience and social support.

Results on programme effectiveness

We investigated the effectiveness of FT by recruiting families to take part in the programme and assessing how they fared over time. Our results were based on 83 families (83 parents and 83 children aged 7–18) across 10 sites. Those who took part in the FT programme, compared to those who received usual services, reported:

• Fewer child behavioural problems
• Improved family relationships/functioning
• Better mental health literacy (ie. knowledge/understanding) in parents
• Improved parental and child mental health when more partner and economic support was available.

Approximately two-thirds of families who took part in separate interviews also reported:

• Reduced stigma
• The importance of giving children and partners a voice to express their concerns (often for the first time)
• Increased confidence and wellbeing in the unwell parent.

Bringing the programme to more families in Ireland

The programme also offers good value for money, costing only €307 per family when only recurring (versus setup) costs are considered. Overall, our results indicate that the Family Talk programme can be used successfully in an Irish context to support (young) families experiencing PMI.

However, more work is needed to address barriers to the delivery and sustainability of such programmes. Most importantly, a ‘think family’ Government policy plus appropriate practice standards/guidelines and resources are needed to ensure that mental health services in Ireland can implement sustainable family-focused practice and support.

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