Influenza and older people

This edition of the CARDI “Focus on . . .” series examines influenza issues on the island of Ireland and what steps can be taken to reduce the incidence among older people.

Influenza is the leading cause of death from infectious disease among older people. This is largely due to declining immune competence with age and the prevalence of chronic conditions among older adults. Influenza is also a significant cause of death and hospitalisation in residential care settings (Health Service Executive / Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 2014). In the 2013/14, 34 people in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) (Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 2014) and 15 in Northern Ireland (NI) (Public Health Agency, 2014) died as a direct result of influenza. The majority were older people with underlying chronic conditions. However, influenza is underreported as a cause of death (Green et al., 2013).

This edition of the CARDI “Focus on . . .” series examines influenza issues on the island of Ireland and what steps can be taken to reduce the incidence among older people. Read it here>>

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