Adult Vaccines & Immunisations

We routinely provide the below vaccines for adults (click here for more information):

Flu
Pneumococcal Disease
Hepatitis B
Mumps
Rubella
Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
Covid Vaccine
Tetanus
Shingles

Contact reception to make an appointment with the nurse for vaccination or follow specific booking information below if available.

Flu Vaccine

Flu (also known as influenza) is a highly infectious illness caused by the flu virus. It spreads rapidly through small droplets coughed or sneezed into the air by an infected person. For most people, flu is unpleasant but not serious. You will usually recover within a week.

Studies have shown that flu vaccines provide effective protection against the flu, although protection may not be complete and may vary between people. Protection from the vaccine gradually decreases and flu strains change over time. Therefore, new vaccines are made each year and people at risk of flu are encouraged to be vaccinated every year.

Shingles Vaccine

Shingles is an infection of a nerve and the area of skin around it. It is caused by the herpes varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox.

Most people have chickenpox in childhood, but after the illness has gone, the virus remains dormant in the nervous system. The immune system keeps the virus under control, but later in life it can be reactivated and cause shingles.

Shingles usually affects a specific area on either the left or right side of the body. The main symptoms are pain and a rash, which develops into itchy blisters and then scabs over.

How common is shingles?

It is estimated that about 3 people in every 1,000 have shingles in the UK every year. The figure for Ireland is likely to be similar. Shingles can occur at any age but is most common in people who are over 50 years of age. Among people who are over 80 years of age, about 11 people in every 1,000 have shingles each year.

It is much less common in children.

Outlook

In most cases, the painful rash of shingles lasts 7 to 10 days and takes 2 to 4 weeks to fully heal. Several different medicines can be used to treat the pain.

Complications can occur after you have had shingles, such as postherpetic neuralgia. This is where severe nerve pain lasts for more than three months after the rash has gone.

It is estimated that postherpetic neuralgia affects at least 1 in 10 people with shingles and is more common in older people. It affects around one-third of people who are over 80 and who have shingles.

Can shingles be prevented?

In recent years, 2 different vaccines to prevent shingles have been licensed in Europe and are available in Ireland. These vaccines are not part of the routine immunisation schedule.

Vaccination against singles is not 100% effective.

However, it does reduce your risk of developing this condition and can reduce the severity and duration of symptoms if you do develop it.

People who are vaccinated are less likely to develop side effects from shingles such as post herpetic neuralgia.

What are the vaccines available in Ireland?

The two shingles vaccines currently available are:

Shingrix – this is a recombinant vaccine that is given as two doses, 2 months apart. It is indicated for people >50 years, or over 18 years with underlying medical issues putting them at increased risk of shingles.
Efficacy – 97.2% > 50 years old, 91.3% > 70 years old
Zostavax – This is a live vaccine. It is given as a single dose. It is indicated for people over 50 years old.
Efficacy – 70% > 50 years old, 41% > 70 years old

We do not routinely carry the vaccines in our fridge so you would need a prescription to get the vaccine from your pharmacy.

Please enquire at reception if you would like this vaccine.

Pneumococcal Vaccine

Pneumococcal disease is a very serious disease. It is a major cause of illness and death, particularly amongst the very young. Those with the following conditions should be vaccinated with PPV23.

Everybody aged 65 years and over and everybody aged 2 years and over with ;

Diabetes
Chronic lung, heart, liver, or kidney disease
Chronic neurological disease
Children aged over 2 years and under 5 years of age with a history of invasive pneumococcal disease
Coeliac disease
Down Syndrome
Cochlear implants or are about to get cochlear implants
Immune deficiency because of a disease or treatment, including cancer patients
HIV infection
Absent spleen or a non-functioning spleen
CSF leaks, either congenital or complicating skull fractures or neurosurgery
Intracranial shunt.

PPV23 vaccination is not recommended for healthy children and adults as they are at low risk of pneumococcal disease

This content of this page (and links to other sites) is for general information purposes only and does not substitute medical advice. While we endeavour to keep this website up-to-date, errors may occur. We advise all patients to discuss their health concerns with their GP. If you would like to suggest amendments or highlight new information that could be useful to others please don’t hesitate to get in touch.