If you’ve got a “bit of a flu”, then the harsh reality is that you probably don’t have the flu at all. Sniffles are one thing, but the flu is a debilitating systemic illness that can leave people bedridden for several days and full recovery can take a number of weeks.
Flu often leads to a surge of hospitalisations each winter, placing the health service under increased pressure. In early January 2025, almost 1,000 patients were hospitalised in a single week, with close to 50 requiring intensive care.
In the workplace, a flu outbreak can be inconvenient at best, and extremely damaging at worst, invariably leading to high levels of absenteeism and lost productivity.
That’s why every year at this time, health officials urge people of all ages to avail of the seasonal flu vaccine. It is seasonal because, unlike other vaccines, the flu vaccine is modified each year, says Denis O’Driscoll, superintendent pharmacist for the McCabe’s Pharmacy group. “McCabes Pharmacy is encouraging companies to get their employees vaccinated this year and have made it easier to avail of the flu vaccine through offering in pharmacy vaccinations as well as going out to their locations. We are guided by the southern hemisphere and the most prevalent strain that is seen there during their winter and then our vaccine is developed,” he explains. “That’s why we don’t have a vaccine ‘for life’ but it changes every year.”
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There are benefits to getting it on an annual basis too, he adds: “The body reacts much more positively to the new vaccine as your protection comes on more quickly than if you were to get it for the very first time.”
While there are misconceptions that getting the vaccine can cause some flu-like symptoms, this isn’t possible as it is inactivated vaccine, notes O’Driscoll. “But it can take up to 14 days for the immune system to be fully primed so you are still vulnerable to the flu during this period. Our pharmacy teams can provide advice and support for after care.” he advises.
The vaccine offers protection to people of all ages, O’Driscoll says. “The flu is highly infectious and extremely transmissible so with the more people that are vaccinated we get that level of herd immunity and it prevents the flu being able to circulate because so many people have been immunised against it.
This is crucial because the flu is “a significant illness”, O’Driscoll warns. “You end up with a really strong fever, you’ll have pains and aches and you will be bedridden for a number of days. It’s not like just having a cough or a cold, it’s actually quite a significant illness and the problem with that is that if you have an underlying health condition it can lead to complications such as pneumonia.”
McCabes Pharmacy runs a corporate vaccination service, allowing businesses to offer their employees the option of receiving the vaccine fully or partially subsidised at work or in their local McCabes Pharmacy.
“It can happen in a workplace that somebody brought in the flu and suddenly six or seven people go out because they’re all in touch with each other,” O’Driscoll says. “It can be quite damaging to a company particularly if a lot go out on sick leave at the same time, and for several days as is the case with the flu. And again, by being vaccinated, you’re protecting yourself but you’re also protecting others that you may not know could be vulnerable or maybe who they’re going home to is vulnerable.”
Each year, more and more organisations avail of McCabes Pharmacy Corporate Flu Vaccination Service as part of their efforts to support employee wellbeing. “We work with lots of businesses and what they’re trying to do is protect the company, protect their staff and also protect their vulnerable staff within their organisation that want to come to work and want to be in work,” he adds.
O’Driscoll notes that McCabes Pharmacists have been administering vaccinations for years now, meaning employees will have their vaccine administered by a highly experienced and expertly-trained team - in 2024, McCabes Pharmacy vaccinated just under 50,000 people against seasonal flu.
They also offer on-site vaccinations, meaning their pharmacists can visit a workplace, or else digital vouchers can be purchased so that employees can avail of the flu vaccine in any of McCabes Pharmacy’s 110 nationwide locations. “This gives colleagues flexibility to choose a time and location that is convenient for them,” he says. Employees can also conveniently book their appointments online at www.mccabespharmacy.com/pages/corporate-flu-vaccinations
The service offers excellent value, O’Driscoll says - especially for a workplace that is wholly reliant on its staff. “Interested organisations should register now for the 2025/26 McCabes Pharmacy Corporate Flu Vaccination Service by emailing corporatebookings@mccabespharmacy.ie and a member of our healthcare team will be in touch to discuss your needs and arrange a suitable date for your on-site or in-pharmacy clinic. Find out more about our Corporate Flu Vaccination Service at mccabespharmacy.com”
According to O’Driscoll, there are lots of people out there who say they “never get the flu vaccine because they never get the flu” - he urges them to reconsider.
“Anyone who is thinking about it should just talk to their local community pharmacist, or come into McCabes Pharmacy to have that discussion,” he says. “Vaccines have demonstrated very clearly as offering the greatest protection against disease and we would encourage everyone to consider getting the flu vaccine.”
