Less than 30% of adults in Ireland plan to get vaccinated against the flu this winter, a new survey suggests.

According to the findings, just 29% of adults plan to get vaccinated during the 2019/2020 flu season, while 57% of adults have never been vaccinated against flu.

Flu season runs in Ireland from October to March/April. During the 2018/2019 season, there were 3,217 cases of flu that required hopsitalisation.

The HSE urges everyone in at-risk groups to get the flu vaccination every year, as they have an increased risk of developing flu-related complications. At-risk groups include:
-Pregnant women
-People over the age of 65
-People with chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes
-Healthcare workers.

Among those who have previously availed of the flu vaccine, 66% got it from their GP, while 20% got it from their pharmacy.

According to Dr Kim Roberts, leader of the Influenza Research Group at Trinity College Dublin, getting vaccinated "is the best preventive measure against influenza and the spread of the virus".

"It should be a priority for everyone to help prevent the spread of the virus. The flu vaccine usually takes about two weeks to take effect, so it's better to get the vaccination as early in the season as possible," she commented.

The survey of over 1,000 adults was carried out by iReach on behalf of Boots Ireland in September 2019.