All babies born on or after 1 August 2017 will be offered protection against hepatitis B as part of the universal childhood immunisation programme. This is in addition to continued protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). The Hexavalent vaccine replaces the existing 5-in-1 vaccine that children routinely receive. It is already widely used with around 150 million doses having been given in 97 countries in Europe and across the world.

The Public Health Agency’s (PHA) Breastfeeding Welcome Here scheme has reached the milestone of having 500 venues signed up to the initiative which aims to provide supportive environments for breastfeeding mums. The MAC in Belfast has become the 500th member of Breastfeeding Welcome Here, and this World Breastfeeding Week (1–7 August) it joins all types of businesses, tourist venues and council facilities that are already part of the scheme.​

On World Hepatitis Day (28 July) the Public Health Agency is supporting the World Hepatitis Alliance campaign message to eliminate hepatitis. In May 2016, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) on viral hepatitis 2016–2021. This calls for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 (reducing new infections by 90% and deaths by 65%). Hepatitis B and C are responsible for 96% of all hepatitis deaths.

Figures published today by the Public Health Agency (PHA) have shown that in the five years since ‘Take Home Naloxone’ was introduced in Northern Ireland, the potentially life-saving medicine has been administered 112 times and has been successful in reversing an overdose on 98 occasions. Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. It can very quickly restore normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of overdosing with heroin or prescription opioid pain medications.