Latest news with #LauraBrennan
Irish Examiner
21-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Concerns raised over lack of clarity on resumption of Laura Brennan HPV catch-up scheme
Serious concerns have been raised that the Government has "abandoned" its commitment to restart the Laura Brennan HPV catch-up programme. Taoiseach Micheál Martin was unable to provide clarity around when such a programme, which would target thousands of young people who miss out on the vaccine each year, will be rolled out. Campaigners have raised concerns around a backslide in uptake of the vaccine which can prevent a number of cancers, including cervical and throat cancer, and are urging the coalition to restart what was previously a highly successful catch-up programme. Raising the issue in the Dáil, Roderic O'Gorman pointed out that the vaccination rates have been dropping since 2019, and around 16,000 young people now do not get it each year. He said the programme for Government pledges to extend the Laura Brennan HPV catch-up vaccination programme to anyone under 25 who missed the original vaccination. "I have been in touch with both the department of health and the HSE to find out when the new programme will run. No one has been able to give me a straight answer," he said. They tell me how important the HPV vaccine is. I agree. They tell me they are going to run a distinct programme for minority groups. That is brilliant. However, no one can tell me when the Laura Brennan programme will run again. "I am worried that they have decided not to do it and more importantly, the Irish Cancer Society is concerned that this scheme is not going to run again," the Green Party leader said. Mr Martin said significant progress has been made in achieving the goal of eradicating HPV-related cancers through the vaccine. "I will check with the minister for health in respect of the catch-up programme. I will ask the minister to revert back to the deputy in respect of it. It is a fair question to raise and I will follow it up." Afterwards, Mr O'Gorman said he was "disappointed" that the Taoiseach could not provide an update on the status of the catch-up programme. During the 2022/23 school year, 80% of girls and around 77% of boys received the HPV jab. However, this is down since the 2019/20 academic year — when 84.1% of girls and 81.5% of boys took up the vaccine. Read More Should we all consider getting vaccinated against HPV?
Irish Examiner
28-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
More than 40% of 25-year-old Irish men drink 'hazardous levels' of alcohol
More than two fifths of 25-year-old Irish men and a third of 25-year-old women drink to what the World Health Organization (WHO) considers to be "hazardous levels". Those are just some of the findings included in a CSO report on the wellbeing and relationships of people aged 25 in Ireland. Among 25-year-old men educated to degree level or higher, this level of hazardous alcohol consumption rose from 44% to 51%. The report, which forms part of the CSO's wider Growing Up in Ireland series, asked 25-year-old participants how they feel about their physical and mental health, family, friends, and relationships. The series itself follows the lives of thousands of people born in Ireland in the year 1998. These individuals have been interviewed by the CSO at regular intervals since 2007, on each occasion providing insights into the issues they face, what is important to them, and their hopes for the future. 'Services for young people' The data collected in this longitudinal study, the CSO says, will be used to help "local, national, and European policymakers formulate decisions about services for young people and their families". On the topic of general health, the latest CSO report found that most people aged 25 believed themselves to be in excellent (22.7%) or very good (42%) health at the time of the survey. Some two thirds of men reported they had done at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise in the week before completing the survey, compared to just under half of women. In the area of mental health, 25% of respondents said they had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety by a medical professional. More than three in 10 women reported a depression or anxiety diagnosis, compared with less than two in 10 men. This gap between the sexes was also evident in terms of self-esteem, with 23.5% of women aged 25 reporting low self-esteem. This is compared to 18% of men of the same aged. Stress Asked about stress, nearly 22% of women reported moderate or higher levels of stress in their lives — compared with 15% of men who reported the same levels. Asked about their families and friendships, and who they could confide in with issues and feelings, both men and women said they would go to a friend, a partner, or their mother with personal issues. Most of the group said they would consider some of their friends close friends. However, nearly 6% of respondents said they had no close friends. Finally, asked to give their overall life satisfaction a score from one to 10, the average total among the group was 6.5. Read More Government urged to restart Laura Brennan HPV vaccine programme following backslide in uptake
