HSE to hold flu clinics across Cork amid spike in cases presenting to Southdoc 

Flu clinics for children are to be held in Cork over the next two weeks as a Blackpool doctor says attendances at Southdoc have doubled due to increased flu cases.

Cork city councillor and GP Dr John Sheehan told The Echo: “We’ve seen a big increase in flu, the number of people attending Southdoc has doubled in the last week. We’ve had extra doctors on to cope with the demand.”

The elderly and children are the main groups presenting, he said, explaining that most adults are able to recover well at home.

“The elderly can get very sick, and we’ve seen a number of people presenting with symptoms of confusion and generalised weakness.”

He said that other bugs also increase during this time of year, so children should be assessed rather than parents assuming they have the flu. “It’s not too late to get the flu vaccine,” he said. 

“It takes two weeks to be fully effective, but even after a week there’s a significant improvement.”

HSE South West will hold free walk-in clinics offering the children’s flu vaccine, a quick, painless spray administered into each nostril.

The first clinic will be on Friday, December 19, 1pm-4pm at Ballincollig Primary Care Centre. On Monday, December 22, there will be clinics from 11am-3pm in the Ophthalmic Room, Skibbereen Community Hospital, and from 9am-3pm in Meeting Room 1 & 2, Baker’s Road, Gurranabraher.

 Another clinic will be held in the same spot from 10am-2pm on Monday, December 29, as well as one from 11am–3pm in Bantry Vaccination Centre.