The social media site Twitter is launching a new tool to give users credible public health information about vaccinations.

In partnership with the Health Service Executive (HSE), when someone in Ireland searches for certain keywords associated with vaccinations on Twitter, they will get a visual prompt which will direct them to a dedicated HSE webpage containing vaccination information.

The prompt will appear at the top of an individual's Twitter search results, ensuring it has high-visibility and prominence.

The purpose is to proactively give "credible public health information about vaccinations to people in Ireland who search for the topic on the platform."

Karen White is the director of public policy for Twitter in Europe.

She says: "Twitter's main priority as a company is to protect the health of the public conversation on the platform - ensuring individuals can find information from authoritative sources like the HSE is a key part of that mission.

"We understand the importance of vaccines in preventing illness and disease and recognise the role that Twitter plays in disseminating important public health information.

"To this end, I'm delighted to launch this tool today in partnership with the HSE.

"The collaboration will ensure that people who seek information about vaccinations on Twitter can easily access reliable and credible information, and builds on work Twitter is doing to surface quality content for people who use our service."

Dr Lucy Jessop is director of the National Immunisation Office at the HSE.

She adds: "Our goal is to get the most accurate vaccine information out to the public to ensure people can make informed decisions around their health.

"We are delighted to work with Twitter on this innovative project and interact in a positive way with the wide network of users using this platform.

"The National Immunisation Office's websites are accredited by the WHO Vaccine Safety Network as credible sources of information for those who want to find out more."