Influenza FAQ 2024/2025

The influenza season usually starts at the beginning of October and lasts until the end of April.

The 2024/2025 HSE seasonal vaccination programme will offer:

Trivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), nasal application for those  aged 2-17 years.

Brand available:

• Fluenz nasal spray suspension influenza vaccine (live attenuated, nasal) manufactured by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals (Ireland) DAC

 

Inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) available for all other eligible populations including those eligible children (aged 2-17 years) with contraindications to LAIV (QIV is licensed for those 6 months of age and older).

Brands available:

• Influvac tetra
• Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur

Sites can order doses of QIV as required this season, there is not a facility to order one brand in preference to the other.

 

Adjuvanted Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (aQIV) for older adults (aged 65 and over) is not available this season. All older adults are recommended QIV this season.

Vaccines recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are prepared each year using virus strains similar to those considered most likely to circulate in the forthcoming season.

The WHO has recently concluded that B/Yamagata lineages are no longer circulating (last detected March 2020) and are unlikely to cause future epidemics. Therefore, inclusion of a B/Yamagata antigen component of influenza vaccine is no longer warranted (you will be directed to the WHO website).

Manufacturers will move from quadrivalent to trivalent influenza vaccine formulations and are currently prioritising supply of trivalent live attenuated vaccines for the 2024/2025 season.

Live trivalent attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) will be available in Ireland in 2024/2025.

The WHO recommends that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2024-2025 northern hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

• an A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
• an A/Thailand/8/2022 (H3N2)-like virus; and
• a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

Non-live quadrivalent influenza vaccines will be available in Ireland in 2024/2025.

The WHO recommends that quadrivalent vaccines for use in the 2024-2025 northern hemisphere influenza season contain the following:

• an A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
• an A/Thailand/8/2022 (H3N2)-like virus; and
• a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.
• a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

It is likely that non-live trivalent influenza vaccines will become available for future flu seasons.

Influenza vaccine effectiveness varies from year-to-year among different age and risk groups and according to different types of influenza vaccine. It can depend on the match between the predicted vaccine virus used to produce the vaccine and the viruses that will circulate this season. In general, current influenza vaccines tend to work better against influenza B and influenza A (H1N1) viruses and offer lower protection against influenza A (H3N2) viruses.

Influenza vaccines usually reduce the risk of infection by 40-60%. Influenza vaccines also reduce the severity of illness, complications from influenza, reduce influenza-related hospitalisations, and admissions to critical care units.

Read this factsheet from the CDC   (you will be directed to the CDC website) 

The vaccine starts to work within 2 weeks.

The HSE recommended influenza vaccine for:

• People aged 60 years or older. 
• All pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy.
• Children aged 2-17 years. Children aged 2-17 years should receive LAIV. QIV should be given if LAIV is contraindicated.
• Those aged 6-23 months and 18 to 59 years who are at increased risk of Influenza- related complications:
  • Those with chronic illness, e.g. 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 bronchopulmonary dysplasia), diabetes and other metabolic disorders, or haemoglobinopathies
  • Those with immunosuppression due to disease or treatment, including asplenia or hyposplenism, and all cancer patients
  • Those with any condition that can compromise respiratory function (e.g. spinal cord injury, seizure disorder, or other neuromuscular disorder,) especially those attending special schools/ day centres
  • Those with serious mental health conditions
  • Children and adults with Down syndrome
  • Children with moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disorders such as cerebral palsy and intellectual disability
  • Children on long term aspirin therapy
  • Those with morbid obesity (Body mass index >40)
• 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 condition or Down syndrome
• Out-of-home care givers for people who have an underlying chronic health condition or have Down syndrome. A carer is someone who provides ongoing significant level of care to a person who is in need of care in the home due to illness or disability or frailty.
• People in regular contact with pigs, poultry or waterfowl

QIV should NOT be given to:

• Those with a history of anaphylaxis to a previous dose of influenza vaccine or any of its constituents.
• People with severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count <0.5 × 10⁹/L) to avoid an acute febrile episode. This does not apply to those with primary autoimmune neutropenia who can get the flu vaccine unless other contraindications. 

Precautions:

• Acute severe febrile illness (temperature > 38°C) – defer until recovery.
• Patients on combination checkpoint inhibitors (e.g. ipilimumab plus nivolumab) because of a potential association with immune-related adverse reactions.
• QIV should be separated from pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) by at least 1 week for children aged 12-23 months because of a slightly increased risk of febrile convulsions if the vaccines are given at the same time in this age group.

Visit www.hpra.ie to read the licensed information) about the vaccine: Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and Patient Information Leaflet (PIL).  (you will be directed to the HPRA website) 

Those with confirmed egg anaphylaxis or egg allergy can be given this influenza vaccine in a primary care or school setting with the exception of those who have required admission to ICU for a previous severe anaphylaxis to egg.

Those requiring non-live influenza vaccine who have had a previous ICU admission for a severe anaphylaxis to egg should be referred for specialist assessment with regard to vaccine administration in hospital.

A person who has had a total (simple) mastectomy (without either a sentinel node biopsy or axillary node clearance) and who does not have lymphoedema may have an intramuscular vaccination in to the deltoid muscle.     

The decision to administer a vaccine into the arm of a person who has had a simple mastectomy with a sentinel node biopsy needs to be made based on the advice the person was given by the treating clinical team.

The vastus lateralis muscle in the anterolateral thigh may be used if a deltoid site cannot be used. 

Table 1 summarises the doses of quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine required.

Table 1: Dose of QIV

Group	Dose
Children aged 6 months to <9 years**	Two doses 4 weeks apart, if receiving influenza vaccine for the first time or vaccination history is unknown
post hematopoietic stem cell or post solid organ transplant	Two doses 4 weeks apart, if receiving influenza vaccine for the first time post-transplant
Cancer patients who receive the vaccine while on chemotherapy and who complete their treatment in the same season*	Two doses 2nd dose at least four weeks after completion of treatment and at least 4 weeks after 1st dose (regardless of influenza vaccination in previous seasons)
All others	One dose

* If the lymphocyte count is > 1.0 x109/L

** Note that children aged 2-17 years will be offered LAIV; only those for whom LAIV is contraindicated should receive QIV.

The most commonly reported adverse reactions are pain at the injection site, localised redness and swelling at the injection site, myalgia and headache (1 in 10).

Serious allergic reactions are very rare.

Further details are available from the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) available at www.hpra.ie  (you will be directed to the HPRA website) 

The influenza vaccine is available from participating GP practices or pharmacies.

Influenza vaccination protects women during and after pregnancy.

• Pregnancy increases the risk of complications from influenza due to alterations in heart rate, lung capacity and immunological function.
• Influenza in pregnancy is associated with miscarriage, premature birth, and reduced foetal growth and stillbirth.
• Premature birth can lead to long-term medical and social consequences.
• Vaccination during pregnancy provides passive immunity to infants up to the first 6 months of life, when babies are too young to receive the influenza vaccine. Infants under 6 months have the highest rates of hospitalisation and death from influenza.

Yes. Pregnant women are advised the QIV vaccine. The QIV is an inactivated influenza vaccine; it is not a live vaccine and is considered very safe in pregnancy.

It has been given to millions of pregnant women and has not caused any harm to women or their babies.

The vaccine can be given to pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy.

Yes. The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has recommended that in these instances that the pregnant woman receives a further dose of influenza vaccine. This is because there is a new strain in this season’s vaccine and immunity from the first dose could have waned.  (you will be directed to the RCPI website) 

Yes. Both vaccines can be given at the same time.

Note: Pertussis vaccine is recommended between 16-36 weeks of pregnancy.

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has recommended the nasal influenza vaccine for children to prevent cases of influenza in children and in the wider community.  (you will be directed to the RCPI website) 

For 2024/25, the Department of Health has decided LAIV should be offered for free to all children aged 2 to 17 years inclusive. 

Vaccination of children will also decrease transmission to others and so reduce morbidity and mortality in those in the clinical risk groups and older adults.

The World Health Organization recommends that children under 5 years of age are a priority group for influenza vaccination because of their greater risk of severe disease or complications.  (you will be directed to the WHO website) 

Influenza occurs globally with an annual attack rate estimated at 20–30% in children compared to 5–10% in adults. Children contribute to the burden of influenza in all age groups because they are more likely to transmit infection to others than are adults.

Children can transmit influenza to others for 10 or more days (compared to 6 days for adults) thus increasing spread of the disease. Those attending day-care centres and schools are likely to transmit influenza in the community.

Common symptoms include a sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain and extreme fatigue, a dry cough, sore throat and stuffy nose.

Young children may develop gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea. Infection may be asymptomatic.

Common complications are bronchitis, otitis media, sinusitis and secondary bacterial pneumonia.

Less commonly meningitis, encephalitis, meningoencephalitis and primary influenza pneumonia are seen.

It is estimated that up to 10% of children under 15 years of age attend their GP with influenza in an average season. Incidence rates are highest in the younger age groups leading to high rates of excess outpatient visits, hospital admissions and antibiotic prescriptions.

There is a considerable burden from paediatric influenza 

Burden of paediatric influenza on Irish health system 2009/10-2018/19. 

Source: HPSC

In Ireland, in 2018/19 the highest age specific rate for hospitalised influenza cases were in those aged <5 years and those aged 65 years and older. 

Age specific notification rates per 100,000 population for confirmed influenza cases, by hospitalisation status, during the 2018/2019 influenza season, in Ireland

Source: HPSC

It is particularly important to minimise the influenza rates this season so the health service is not overwhelmed with dual outbreaks of influenza and COVID-19. Patients with influenza and COVID-19 co-infection are likely to have worse outcomes.

Influenza vaccination of as many children as possible will reduce their rates of infection and also limit the spread of infection to vulnerable people.

Trivalent LAIV was first licensed in the USA in 2003 and quadrivalent LAIV has been licensed since 2012.

In Europe, trivalent LAIV was licensed in 2011 for children aged 2 to 17 years inclusive and replaced by quadrivalent LAIV in 2013. Live trivalent attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) will be available in Ireland in 2024/2025.

The name of the trivalent LAIV vaccine is Fluenz and it is manufactured by AstraZeneca. The licensed documentation can be found on https://www.hpra.ie.  (you will be directed to the HPRI website) 

LAIV contains the following three attenuated (weakened) influenza strains:

• an A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
• an A/Thailand/8/2022 (H3N2)-like virus, and
• a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

The WHO has recently concluded that B/Yamagata lineages are no longer circulating (last detected March 2020) and are unlikely to cause future epidemics. Therefore, inclusion of a B/Yamagata antigen component of influenza vaccine is no longer warranted.

Live trivalent attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) will be available in Ireland in 2024/2025. The trivalent live vaccine will offer the same level of protection against the 2A and 1B flu virus strains in it as the quadrivalent live vaccines.

LAIV is an egg based vaccine.

LAIV may contain residues of egg proteins (e.g. ovalbumin) and gentamicin. LAIV contains the following excipients:

• Sucrose
• Dipotassium phosphate.
• Potassium dihydrogen phosphate.
• Gelatin (porcine, Type A).
• Arginine hydrochloride.
• Monosodium glutamate monohydrate.
• Water for injections.

LAIV does not contain thimerosal (mercury).

The LAIV presentation does not contain any product that should affect latex sensitive individuals.

The maximum amount of ovalbumin in LAIV is less than 0.024 micrograms per 0.2 ml dose.

NIAC recommends that those with confirmed egg anaphylaxis or egg allergy can be given influenza vaccine in a primary care or school setting with the exception of those who have required admission to ICU for a previous severe anaphylaxis to egg. (see section on precautions for further details).  (you will be directed to the RCPI website) 

LAIV is the preferred vaccine for children who have required admission to ICU for a previous severe anaphylaxis to egg as the intranasal route is less likely to cause systemic reactions; it should be given in hospital.

LAIV contains porcine gelatin as a stabiliser.

Some members of the Muslim community may have concerns about a vaccine containing porcine gelatin.

The National Immunisation Office received correspondence from the Imam of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland and the Chairman of the Council of Imams in July 2020 (82.3kb) which states

“medicines and vaccinations containing a percentage of gelatine made of pork are permissible.”

LAIV was first licensed in 2003 and since then millions of doses have been given to children across the world.

In the US, annual influenza vaccine is recommended for all persons including children from 6 months of age and LAIV has been recommended since 2004.

In 2013, the UK introduced trivalent LAIV for 2 and 3 year olds with pilot programmes for primary school children. Quadrivalent LAIV was introduced in 2014/15. The programme has extended to include all children from 2 to 11 years.

In Canada, influenza vaccine was introduced for all children from 6 months to 2 years in 2011 and extended to 6 years of age in 2012. Children from 2 to 5 years can receive either LAIV or inactivated influenza vaccine.

In Finland, annual inactivated influenza vaccine was recommended for children aged 6–35 months in 2007. LAIV was introduced in 2015 to enhance vaccine uptake. Since then, all

2 and 3 year old children have been eligible for vaccination with either LAIV or inactivated influenza vaccine. The programme has recently been extended to include all children to 6 years of age.

LAIV was temporarily not recommended in the US in 2016 because of concerns about low effectiveness against 2009 H1N1 pandemic viruses. This was not seen in the UK where data from the 2015/16 influenza season showed the overall effectiveness and impact of childhood influenza vaccination. LAIV has again been recommended in the US since the 2017/18 influenza season.

In some studies, LAIV has been shown to be more effective in children compared with inactivated influenza vaccines. Since LAIV contains live attenuated viruses, it mimics natural infection, which induces more durable immune memory and so provides better long-term protection to children than inactivated influenza vaccine.

In addition, LAIV may offer some protection against strains not contained in the vaccine, as well as virus strains that have undergone antigenic drift.

The UK pilot primary school programme was evaluated in 2014/2015 and showed:

• 94% reduction in primary school age children GP influenza like consultations.
• 74% reduction primary school age ED attendances with respiratory complaints.
• 93% reduction in primary school age confirmed influenza hospitalisations.
• 59% reduction in adults GP influenza like illness consultations.

LAIV is offered to all children age 2 to 17 years inclusive as part of the 2024/25 HSE seasonal influenza vaccination programme in line with Department of Health policies.

• Children who are 2 years on the date of vaccination are eligible to receive LAIV.
• Children who are 17 years on the date of vaccination are eligible to receive LAIV.

For this age group LAIV is provided (unless contraindicated). QIV should only be given to children if LAIV is contraindicated.

Children not in a medically at risk group require one dose of LAIV.

Post marketing effectiveness studies have shown:

• Adequate efficacy after one dose of LAIV.
• A second dose of LAIV is of little added benefit to healthy children.

NIAC has recommended that all healthy children should receive a single dose of LAIV. This recommendation is concordant with Finnish and UK recommendations.  (you will be directed to the RCPI website) 

Children in a medically at risk group aged 2 to 8 years inclusive, who have not had any influenza vaccine before, require two doses of LAIV, 4 weeks apart.

Children in a medically at risk group aged 2 to 8 years inclusive, who have received one previous dose of any influenza vaccine, require one dose of LAIV.

Children in a medically at risk group aged 9 to 17 years inclusive, require one dose of LAIV regardless of their previous vaccination history.

Group	Age	Previous vaccination	Dose
Medically at risk	2 to 8 years	Have never had any influenza vaccine Have had any influenza vaccine before	Two doses 4 weeks apart One dose
	9 to 17 years	N/A	One dose
Healthy	2 to 17 years	N/A	One dose

Previously unvaccinated children aged 2 to 8 years inclusive with the following medical conditions require two doses of LAIV, 4 weeks apart:

• Any condition that can compromise respiratory function (e.g. spinal cord injury, seizure disorder, or other neuromuscular disorder) especially those attending special schools/day centres.
• Chronic heart disease.
• Chronic liver disease.
• Chronic neurological disease (and hereditary and degenerative disorders of the central nervous system).
• Chronic renal failure.
• Chronic respiratory disease (including cystic fibrosis and asthma).
• Diabetes mellitus.
• Haemoglobinopathies
• Down syndrome.
• Moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disorders such as cerebral palsy and intellectual disability. 
• Morbid obesity.

Contraindications

• Anaphylaxis following a previous dose of influenza vaccine or any of its constituents (other than ovalbumin – see Precautions).
• Asthma.
  • Acute exacerbation of symptoms, increased wheezing and/or additional bronchodilator treatment in the last 72 hours.
• Children who live with severely immunosuppressed persons requiring isolation (e.g. post haematopoietic stem cell transplant).
• Concomitant use of aspirin/salicylates.
• Influenza antiviral medication within the previous 48 hours.
• Pregnancy.
• Significant immunosuppression due to disease or treatment (e.g. acute/chronic leukaemia, lymphoma, HIV positive not on highly active antiretroviral therapy, cellular immune deficiency, high dose steroids >0.5mg/kg/day in children <40kgs or on other immunosuppressive drugs).
• Those post cochlear implant until the risk of a CSF leak has resolved - consult with the relevant specialist
• Those with a cranial CSF leak.
• Those with severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count <0.5 × 109/L) to avoid an acute vaccine related febrile episode. This does not apply to those with primary autoimmune neutropenia who can get the flu vaccine unless other contraindications.

The following are NOT contraindications

• Asymptomatic HIV infection.
• Children receiving:
  • Topical or inhaled corticosteroids.
  • Low dose systemic corticosteroids.
  • Replacement therapy corticosteroids (e.g. adrenal insufficiency).

Precautions

• Defer until recovered from an acute severe febrile illness.
• As LAIV has an ovalbumin content less than 0.024 micrograms per 0.2 ml dose, it can be given to children with confirmed egg anaphylaxis or egg allergy in a primary care setting. Children who have required critical care admission to hospital for a previous severe anaphylaxis to egg should be given LAIV in hospital.
• Asthma.
  • Seek specialist advice if on regular oral steroids or previous critical care admission.
• Those on combination checkpoint inhibitors (e.g. ipilumumab plus nivolumab) because of a potential association with immune related adverse reactions. 
• Aspirin/salicylates should not be used for 4 weeks after vaccination unless medically indicated, as Reye’s syndrome has been reported following the use of salicylates during wild-type influenza infection.
• Avoid influenza antiviral medication for 2 weeks post vaccination.

QIV should be given if LAIV is contraindicated. Check that there are no contraindications to QIV.

LAIV should be delayed if a child has taken influenza antiviral medication within the previous 48 hours and antiviral medication should be avoided for 2 weeks post vaccination.

Like QIV, LAIV takes about two weeks to provide protection against the four influenza strains in the vaccine.

LAIV is supplied in a box containing 10 single vaccines. Each vaccine comes as a prefilled nasal applicator.

Each applicator contains 0.2ml nasal suspension.

The nasal applicator is ready to use - no reconstitution or dilution is required.

The nasal suspension is colourless to pale yellow, clear to opalescent. Small white particles may be present.

LAIV has a very short shelf life of 18 weeks.

The expiry date must be checked before administration.

The expiry date is written on the side of the nasal applicator as a day, month and year and is the last date the vaccine can be administered.

LAIV is administered intranasally as a divided dose in both nostrils.

LAIV must not be injected or given orally.

One dose of LAIV is 0.2ml administered in divided doses into each nostril i.e. 0.1ml in each nostril.

Step 1:     Only remove 1 vaccine at a time from the box of 10 in the fridge.

Check the expiry date – this is written as a date, month and year on the side of the applicator.

Step 2:     Remove nozzle tip protector. Do not remove dose divider clip.

 

Step 3:     Place tip inside the RIGHT nostril (with child in upright sitting position and head titled slightly backwards).

Advise the child to breathe normally. There is no need to inhale or sniff.

Step 4:     Depress plunger as quickly as possible until dose divider clip prevents further administration.

Step 5:     Pinch and remove dose divider clip.

 

Step 6:     Insert tip inside the LEFT nostril. Depress plunger as quickly as possible until all vaccine has been given.

 

Step 7:     Dispose of applicator in sharps bin.

Very common or common (More than 1 in 10 to 1 in 100):

Nasal congestion/rhinorrhoea, decreased appetite, malaise, fever, headache, myalgia. These symptoms usually take a day to develop. In post marketing surveillance, overall rates of fever were similar to the rates following other childhood vaccines and were generally mild and of short duration.

Very rare (less than 1 in 10,000):

Immediate allergic reactions.

Very rare cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) have been observed in the post-marketing setting following influenza vaccination. The risk of GBS following influenza infection is significantly greater than that following influenza vaccination.

NIAC recommends that  (you will be directed to the RCPI website) 

"when possible, patients should remain in the vicinity for up to 15 minutes after vaccination”.

This applies after any child or adult vaccination because of the very rare possibility of anaphylaxis. In addition, syncope may occur with most cases occurring less than 5 minutes after vaccine administration.

In most instances, following vaccination there is a period of at least 5 minutes when the record card is being completed before the vaccinated person leaves the room.

The child may leave the premises and  remain in the vicinity for the remaining minutes provided the parent/guardian is given post vaccination advice and the vaccinated child is accompanied by an adult.

NIAC has issued the following advice:  (you will be directed to the RCPI website) 

“Symptoms associated with the administration of LAIV usually take about 24 hours to develop and usually resolve without treatment within 72 hours.

Further investigation is not required if the very common or common mild symptoms develop as above, within 72 hours after LAIV, unless COVID-19 is suspected.”

The child can be given paracetamol or ibuprofen to alleviate common symptoms.

Aspirin or salicylates should not be used for 4 weeks after vaccination unless medically indicated, as Reye’s syndrome has been reported following the use of salicylates during wild-type influenza infection.

Influenza antiviral medication should be avoided for 2 weeks post vaccination.

Vaccinated children can shed the attenuated virus for a few days after vaccination but the virus does not survive for long outside the body.

Although vaccinated children are known to shed virus a few days after vaccination, the vaccine virus that is shed is less able to spread from person to person than the natural infection. The amount of virus shed is normally below the levels needed to pass on infection (transmit) to others and the virus does not survive for long outside of the body. This is in contrast to natural flu infection, which spreads easily during the flu season. In schools using vaccine, therefore, the overall risk of influenza transmission is massively reduced by having a large number of children vaccinated.

Despite the overall low risk of transmission, some parents of children with immune problems may be concerned about their child being exposed to vaccinated children in the two weeks following vaccination. In the US, where there has been extensive use of LAIV for many years, serious illness amongst immunocompromised contacts who are inadvertently exposed to vaccine virus has never been observed.

Furthermore, there have been no reported cases of live vaccine virus transmission in health care workers who administer the vaccine or in close contacts, including those who are pregnant. As a precautionary measure, however, very severely immunocompromised healthcare workers should not administer LAIV.

Excluding children or staff from school during the period when Fluenz is being offered is not necessary. The only exception to this would be if the person is extremely immunocompromised (for example has just had a bone marrow transplant). These people are normally advised not to attend school/work because of the more definite and higher risk of them acquiring other infections.

There is a theoretical potential risk of transmission of the live attenuated flu virus in Fluenz to very severely immunosuppressed contacts (for example bone marrow transplant patients requiring isolation) for one to two weeks following vaccination. The NIAC guidelines advise that “Children who live with severely immunosuppressed persons requiring isolation (e.g. post haematopoietic stem cell transplant) should not receive the Quadrivalent Live Attenuated Influenza (LAIV) nasal vaccine”.  This is a precautionary measure. As the vaccine viruses are cold adapted, they cannot replicate efficiently at body temperature. Millions of doses of LAIV have been administered in the US for over 10 years and serious illness amongst immunocompromised contacts inadvertently exposed to vaccine virus has never been observed.  Any child living with a person who is immunocompromised by treatment or disease may have the LAIV vaccine unless the person has to live in total isolation room.

The attenuated vaccine viruses in LAIV are cold adapted. They can replicate at the lower temperatures found in the nose but cannot replicate efficiently at body temperature elsewhere in the body.

There have been no reported cases of live vaccine virus transmission in health care workers who administer the vaccine or in close contacts, including those who are pregnant.

If a child has a heavy cold or blocked or runny nose, vaccination should be deferred as this may hinder absorption of the vaccine or else QIV administration should be considered.

LAIV is contraindicated in a child living with someone who is severely immunocompromised and requires isolation such as a person who has had a haematopoietic stem cell transplant. Such a child should be given QIV.

 Yes. Children receiving topical or inhaled corticosteroids, low dose systemic corticosteroids or replacement therapy corticosteroids can be given LAIV.

If the child sneezes or blows their nose after vaccination, the vaccine dose does not need to be repeated. The vaccine is immediately absorbed after administration.

Sneezing or blowing the nose after immunisation with LAIV will not affect immunity and parents and guardians should be reassured the vaccine is still effective if these occur.

If the child’s nose drips after vaccination, the vaccine dose does not need to be repeated. The vaccine is immediately absorbed after administration.

Nose dripping after immunisation with LAIV will not affect immunity and parents and guardians should be reassured the vaccine is still effective if this occurs.

If the vaccine inadvertently squirts into the child’s eye, this should be washed out with normal saline or eyewash as it may cause some slight irritation. The parent or guardian should be advised to seek medical advice if this persists.

If a 0.1 ml dose has been given into only one nostril, it is not necessary to repeat the dose of vaccine as this contains enough attenuated viral particles to induce an immune response.

Yes, LAIV can be given at the same time or at any time before or after any other live (e.g. MMR or varicella) or non-live vaccine.

QIV is recommended for children aged 6 months to less than 2 years in a medically at risk group.

LAIV is only licensed for children from 2 years of age because of the increased risk of wheezing and hospitalisation in younger children. NIAC does not recommend universal QIV for younger children.

Yes. As for all childhood vaccines, children who were pre–term should be vaccinated at their chronological age. All children between 2-17 years of age should receive LAIV unless contraindicated.

If a healthy child presents for vaccination after LAIV has expired, no further action is required. They are not eligible to receive QIV.

If the child is in an at risk group, QIV should be given – 1 or 2 doses as required.

If LAIV is inadvertently given to a child who is immunocompromised, the level of immunosuppression should be assessed and if severe, antiviral prophylaxis should be considered. The parent/guardian should be advised to seek medical advice if the child develops flu-like symptoms a few days after vaccine administration.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority should be notified of any suspected adverse reaction.  (you will be directed to the HPRA website) 

If antivirals are used for prophylaxis or treatment, QIV should be offered to provide protection. No interval is required between antiviral medication and QIV administration.

LAIV is contraindicated in children aged less than 2 years of age because of an increase in wheezing and hospitalisation.

If LAIV is inadvertently given to a child less than 2 years of age the parent/guardian should be informed and advised about possible adverse events and to seek medical care if they occur.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority should be notified of any suspected adverse reaction.  (you will be directed to the HPRA website) 

A dose of QIV should be given 4 weeks later if the child is in a medically at risk group and requires a second dose of vaccine. If the child has reached 2 years of age in the interim, a second dose of LAIV can be given.

Reporting suspected adverse reactions to vaccines is important to ensure continuous monitoring of safety. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to report any suspected adverse reaction to the Pharmacovigilance section of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

A report can be made using the online reporting form  (you will be directed to the HPRA website) or alternatively using email or phone +353 1 676 4971.

The name of the vaccine and batch number, where known, should be included. For serious or severe suspected adverse reactions, as much information as possible is requested.

LAIV can be ordered from the HSE National Cold Chain Service using the online ordering system.  (you will be directed to the Vaccine Ordering website) 

LAIV should be stored in a pharmaceutical fridge which maintains temperature between +2˚C to +8˚C

The pneumococcal vaccine protects you against pneumococcal infection caused by the streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.  Pneumococcal infection can cause serious complications such as pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis.  Routinely adults aged 65 years and over are recommended one dose of the pneumococcal vaccine (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, PPV23). Generally, for older adults one dose of the pneumococcal vaccine after the age of 65 provides life-long protection- you do not need to the vaccine every year.

Revaccination is not normally required. Revaccination with PPV23 can produce severe local reactions especially if given within 5 years of previous injection.

Aged 65 and older

Those aged 65 years and older who have never previously received PPV23 require one dose only. No further doses are required regardless of immune status. For those who received

a previous dose of PPV23 at less than 65 years of age, a once only booster vaccine is recommended 5 years after the first vaccine.

Less than 65 years of age

One booster vaccine is recommended 5 years after the first PPV23 vaccine for those whose antibody levels are likely to decline rapidly e.g. asplenia, hyposplenism, immunosuppression including HIV infection, chronic renal disease, nephrotic syndrome or renal transplant.

If PPV23 was given during chemotherapy or radiotherapy a further dose of PPV23 vaccine is recommended 3 months after treatment.

Adults whose antibodies are likely to decline rapidly should receive two doses of PPV23 while aged less than 65.

They will need a third dose of PPV23 when they turn 65 provided at least five years have passed since their last dose of PPV23.

Yes. PPV23 may be given at the same time as influenza vaccine but at a different site. As there is considerable overlap in the target groups for both vaccines, it is appropriate to offer the PPV23 to patients (if indicated) when they attend for their influenza vaccine.

No interval is required if both vaccines are not given on the same day.

Influenza vaccines can be given at the same time as other vaccines.

For example in adults the QIV vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines e.g. PPV23, COVID-19 and Tdap. The 3 vaccines can be given at one visit.

The PPV23 vaccine should be given in the same arm as the flu vaccine 2.5 cms apart. The COVID-19 vaccine should be given in a separate limb if possible. If administration in separate limbs is not feasible or desired, administration of the COVID-19 vaccine in the same limb as one other vaccine, separated by at least 2.5 cm, is appropriate.

In children LAIV can be given at the same time or at any time before or after any other live (e.g., MMR or varicella) or non-live vaccine. It should ideally be provided to eligible children between October and December 2024.

The only exceptions are with PCV13 for children aged 12-23 months and COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 6 months to 4 years.

In children aged 12-23 months of age PCV13 and influenza vaccines should be separated by an interval of at least one week to decrease the risk of febrile seizures occurring.

This is because vaccine safety data from the United States in 2011 reported a small but increased risk of febrile convulsions among children aged 12-23 months who received PCV13 at the same time as inactivated influenza vaccine in the 2010-2011 season (risk approximately 1 in 1,640 vaccinees).

• COVID-19 and adult seasonal influenza vaccines should be co-administered where practicable, to maximise uptake.
• Co-administered vaccines should be given in different arms if possible. If administration in separate limbs is not feasible or desired, administration in the same limb, separated by at least 2.5 cm, is appropriate.
• Vaccinees should be informed there may be a slight increase in short term mild adverse events after co-administration with a seasonal influenza vaccine. These include pain at the site of injection, fatigue, headache, and myalgia.
• As a precaution for children 6 months to 4 years other vaccines (including the flu vaccine) should be separated from COVID-19 vaccines in this age group by 14 days.