As young people prepare to start university or college, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding those going for the first time to get the meningococcal vaccine if they didn’t receive it at school to help protect against potentially deadly illness. The MenACWY vaccine is routinely offered as part of the school-based vaccination programme. It helps protect against meningococcal disease, which new university or college students are at higher risk of contracting in the first weeks of term, when they will come into contact with many new people of a similar age. If you missed getting it at

The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations have launched this year’s HSC mental health and emotional wellbeing campaign urging people to prioritise workplace mental health. Between now and World Mental Health Day on 10 October the five local HSC Trusts, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) and the PHA are encouraging people to take 10 minutes for mental health self-care using the ‘Take 5 steps to wellbeing’. Fiona Teague, Regional Lead for Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing at the PHA, said: “No matter the workplace environment you are in, whether

During Urology Awareness Month (September) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding people to be aware of the signs and symptoms of cancers relating to the urinary and reproductive systems including bladder, kidney, prostate and testicular cancer. Dr Louise Herron, Consultant in Service Development and Screening at the PHA said: “It’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of cancer relating to the urinary and reproductive systems. Some are more common than others and risk will depend on your age and stage of life. Spotting cancer early could make a huge difference. The earlier a

The Public Health Agency (PHA), Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and Hospitality Ulster welcomed Nick Hewer, President of RCSLT, to Brain Injury Matters to celebrate with all those who contributed to the resources designed for the recent Swallow Aware campaign. The campaign aims to improve the lives of people with dysphagia – the medical term for eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties* – enabling them to not only eat out but to connect, interact and to enhance their mental wellbeing. The PHA and Hospitality Ulster worked in partnership with people living with

As the new life-saving Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination programme aimed at protecting newborns and older adults launches in Northern Ireland the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging those eligible to get vaccinated when invited. RSV is a common and highly infectious respiratory virus that affects the breathing system, particularly in young children and older adults. RSV infections often lead to mild cold-like symptoms, but in some cases, especially in infants and individuals with compromised immune systems, it can cause severe respiratory issues and hospitalisation. From the