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NO FLU CASES were confirmed in the last week, according to a report from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
The weekly report showed that there were no new laboratory-confirmed influenza cases between 25 – 31 October.
To date, there have only been two confirmed cases of the flu in Ireland during the 2021/2022 season. It is not clear yet if the virus has been passed on to others yet.
Jack Lambert, an infectious disease consultant in the Mater Hospital, said that the current trend of how the flu is spreading is not unlike previous years.
“It can take off or it can just be sporadic and then it can peak, so this is not unusual,” he said.
Influenza changes every year and as a result, it can be hard to track how it develops. As a result of this, it can start at a different point each year.
For example, in March 2020, influenza B was still circulating in Ireland – around the same time that the Covid-19 pandemic began. Other years, it has broken out in autumn or winter.
Lambert said, “We don’t understand respiratory viruses that well. Each year, they may come in at a different time.”
The flu could circulate in communities much easier before the pandemic, as practices like wearing masks were not commonplace. Since they have been introduced, the spread of influenza has slowed down.
“We didn’t see flu for the last couple of years because we were in lockdown and people were meticulously wearing masks. That was a function probably of Covid-prevention, resulting in less respiratory illnesses,” he said.
“It’s early days. The fact that flu hasn’t hit this year doesn’t mean that it might not come later in the year or January, February of next year.”
Lambert’s public clinic would see many high-risk patients, many of which are homeless or from other vulnerable communities. Despite this, he says that no vaccinations for influenza have been delivered to him, due to short supply.
“The flu vaccine has not been delivered to the hospitals for patient use. Patients are told, ‘It’s available in GP practices’, ‘It’s available in pharmacies’, but an awful lot of populations can’t afford a GP or they can’t afford a pharmacy.”
“It’s a missed opportunity not having vaccines available for the most vulnerable and that, to me, is a failure of the Government’s plan,” he said.
Having a flu campaign and starting it earlier in the season is crucial to reducing influenza cases, according to Lambert. He said, “I do think it’s important that we roll out vaccines to all who need them and make it easy for them to access and currently, that’s not the situation.”
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The established parties have lied to me, threatened me and have not represented me, why would I vote for them again?
Because we need a legislature that can legislate and a government that can govern?
That doesn’t answer the question.
Govern for the elite few, fergalreid, and the devil take the hindmost?
I wouldn’t mind seeing what the alternatives can do before jumping all over them. The fact is the so called proven party whip system is working for the upper echelons of society but not for the whole of society. If independents do hold the balance in the next general election or can band together to form some sort of an alliance I would sooner vote for them than the alternative which is more of the same.
I also will see what independents have to offer.at the moment you can’t judge them about there policies because there not in government. The only policies that matter at the moment is current governments policies and they are not working too well . State of health service being example.
An “alliance of independents”? What benefits would that have over a political party? These lads never want to go into government. They just want to have the next government beholden to them. Some of the greatest cronyism and political skulduggery has historically been between a Taoiseach in need of a majority and independent TDs with a shopping list.
Gregory , Healy Rae.
Dont forget FG’s Micheal Lowry and Dennis O Brien.
Yeah Dobby is the most powerful Independent in the Dail !
We will have a dail full of splinter groups and loose relations. All pointing out whats wrong. And not one cohesive solution.
The ULA lasted just 5 weeks in 2011, falling out over personalities….
Your comment is a bit one sided how many TDs have Labour and Fine Gael lost since they came to power?
This Govt has lied and lied and lied again to us. Why would we trust them again?
Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour with the help of the PDs & the Greens have between them destroyed our country. And this Govt are destroying our Society. Its time now for us to take our courage in our hands and try something new.
5 weeks??
Jan 2010 – Feb 2013.
3 years.
Old Party politics / whip system is dead in this country , it’s time to form a proper left led alternative govt which is looking to serve the people and not serve themselves , FF / FG / LAB / SF all have the own agendas and will offer the people the sun moon and stars to form the next govt , time to move away from this type of politics completely ,
I’m looking forward to see what these alliances and new groups have to offer , The Independents will have a big say in all of this . More power to the people and less to the self serving parties
@Gordon: What are the odds there will be mass resignations from the Government backbenches between now and the General Election as the ones that voted for all the austerity try to change their spots and stand for election as an Independent.
They’d be worse off ( if possible ) if they went down that road , there Gonna stick to there guns on this , It will also add to there already predicted downfall
FF and FG are nothing more than civil war fan clubs. If they had any sense of democracy they would disband and we would get new parties clearly divided on ideological grounds.
Don’t worry if you miss voting in the next election, you’ll get your chance to vote in another one a few months later.
Well won’t be long till we find out now.
Independents and ‘left parties’ would’nt last 5 months never mind 5 years.
The Dail seems to be optics, most of the power is concentrated in the gang of four . Its like the punch and judy show. I wonder how much actual work gets done . I remember being in a pub after FF crashed out of the election last time and the Ard Feis was being held nearby. The party faithful highest priase for another party member was “hes/shes a great party man/woman “. All of the talk was how do we rebuild the party, and get back into power. The other event was an emmigration fare being help at the RDS the irony was lost on them. I imagine this was the same dicussion the FG had when they were defeated in goverment. We get the leaders we deserve. Perhaps its time we examined why the same people get relected with just a different badge each time. We are mired in the politics of identity not ideas.
Those in established parties are part of a gang, where snobbery and arrogance plays a part. Stupidity and following the leader blindly are part of that to and many in these parties follow what is expected of them because they know that if they kiss the right butts then they will go far. The yes people go far in parties but those who try and do what is right never gets anywhere in parties, so that is why there are independents because those in parties will never do anything because the 3 main parties all do the same thing when they get into government and they are happy with the mess. These parties fear change because they know that the system and party will look after them. The fact is a politician in a party seems to fear working for a living and therefore wants an easy life with plenty of money, to make sure he gets this he does what he is told especially when Merkel is about?
Why can’t Finian McGrath not bring Lucinda together with Clare Daly and Joe Higgins for a real alternative?
They could stand for integrity, change, a break with the past, honesty, and a new start.
They wouldn’t need to agree on a new name just yet.
Then we would really be sucking diesel.
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