Immunisation is the safest and most effective way of protecting against serious diseases. The Public Health Agency (PHA) strongly recommends that babies and children are vaccinated according to the Routine Childhood Immunisations Schedule; and are urging parents to check their child’s red book to see if vaccinations are up-to-date. Vaccination rates have seen a slight decrease over recent years and the additional disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have caused some of the decreases in vaccine coverage. It is important vaccination coverage is improved as soon as possible to

The successful Text-A-Nurse programme, a confidential health advice text service for 11 to 19-year-olds, is expanding for parents, carers and school staff to access professional nursing advice on young people’s health issues. This builds on the existing service which has been available to children of this age themselves since 2021. The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Department of Education initiative is delivered by School Nursing Teams across Northern Ireland and will now provide advice and guidance via a text messaging service to parents, carers and school staff on how to talk to 11 to 19

People moving to new accommodation following a period of homelessness are benefitting from a ‘Home Starter Pack’ scheme which provides essential household appliances and hygiene and toiletry items. Public Health Agency (PHA) funding of £120,000 has enabled more than 330 households to benefit from Home Starter Packs and, for the first time, child-specific bedding for families transitioning from homelessness will also be provided. More than 2,200 households also received Getting Started boxes which contain basic food items. The PHA-funded scheme is managed by Homeless Connect, with additional

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging those yet to get a COVID-19 booster to get theirs before the offer ends on 31 March. Rachel Spiers, Immunisation and Vaccination Programme Manager at the PHA, said: “The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that the 2021 first booster offer for healthy 16 to 49-year-olds should end when the current autumn campaign ends in favour of a more targeted approach in 2023/24. “This means that the 31 March will not only be the last day of the 22/23 autumn booster campaign here but it will also be the final day that 16 to 49-year

Despite rabies not being present in Northern Ireland it still remains a risk to those traveling abroad, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is therefore taking this opportunity to remind travellers about the risk of catching rabies from animals. Rabies is an acute viral infection and it is essential to get treatment if you have been bitten, as rabies is almost certainly fatal. The infection causes swelling of the brain and symptoms usually start 2–8 weeks after being bitten or scratched. Dr Philip Veal, Public Health Consultant at PHA, said: “Whether your traveling for pleasure or for work or maybe

A new campaign focussing on the importance and benefits of physical activity as we get older has been launched in pharmacies across Northern Ireland. ‘Live Longer and Stronger Ageing Well’ is running in community pharmacies throughout February and March as part of the Living Well service. It highlights how keeping active helps you stay healthy and age well. Living Well is offered in over 500 pharmacies across Northern Ireland and provides information and advice on public health issues. It is delivered in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA), Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), and the

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is emphasising how important and effective the cervical screening programme is in preventing cancer. Dr Bríd Farrell, Deputy Director of Public Health at the PHA, said: “Since the cervical screening programme was first introduced in Northern Ireland in 1988, many lives have been saved. Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented thanks to screening. It is estimated that in a well-screened population, eight out of ten cervical cancers can be prevented. I urge everyone who receives an invitation for screening to attend for their smear test.

Public Health Agency (PHA) is rolling out a mass media campaign aimed at improving and protecting people’s sexual health and wellbeing. This comes as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to rise in Northern Ireland. In 2021, there was a 47% increase in the overall number of STI tests carried out compared with before the pandemic in 2019. This is due to a significant increase in home STI testing, commissioned by the health service. Ten percent of these home tests were positive, and this positivity rate has not fallen with the increased testing, which would suggest that people are