THE HSE has urged parents with children under the age of five to avail of the swine flu vaccine, as it emerged that only a quarter of parents contacted by the HSE so far have brought their children for vaccinations.
A vaccination programme for schoolchildren is due to begin next week.
Dr Pat Doorley, national director of population health with the HSE, has said that the low uptake among parents with children under five was a matter for concern due to the high rate of infection in that category.
“Children under five are a high priority group and . . . we are concerned that we are not getting a sufficient number of them vaccinated,” Dr Doorley said.
Almost 150,000 letters have already been sent to about half of parents with children under the age of five. However, only 25 per cent have so far responded by bringing their child to a clinic for vaccination.
“Those children who are not vaccinated are at risk of getting swine flu,” Dr Doorley warned.
Parents who have not received letters will do so in coming weeks.
While babies under six months are not to be vaccinated, the HSE is proposing that they issue invitations to parents to get the entire family, including parents, brothers and sisters, vaccinated.
Although the rate of infection in children under the age of five has fallen, it is still significantly higher than the national average.
There are 290 cases of swine flu per 100,000 for children under five in comparison with 126.9 cases per 100,000 among the general population.
“We are still seeing significant rates of infection in children which is of concern to us,” the Department of Health’s chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said. “People are just not aware that the rates are still very high amongst children.”
Meanwhile, vaccinations are to commence in primary and secondary schools next Monday. The vaccination programme for schools is expected to take two months to complete.
“Mostly children will be vaccinated in the school setting,” Dr Doorley said.
“Those who are attending small schools will be vaccinated either in bigger schools or, in a small number of cases, in mass vaccination clinics.”
It also emerged yesterday that a man with an underlying condition has died in the south of the country as a result of swine flu, bringing to 17 the number of deaths in the State resulting from the virus.
The rate of swine flu infections has fallen slightly from 134 cases per 100,000 last week to almost 127 cases per 100,000 this week.
A minimum of 240,000 people have received the swine flu vaccine; however, that figure could be up to two or three times higher depending on GP returns.
There have been 368 reports of adverse reactions although these have generally been mild.