Up to 28,000 babies will be offered a vaccine to protect them against a potentially fatal respiratory virus, under plans drawn up by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
Today, the Minister will seek Cabinet approval for the vaccination programme against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
The virus put significant pressure on paediatric hospitals last year. In 2023, there were 1,397 RSV hospitalisations in infants under one year of age, with the majority (1017) being infants less than 6 months of age.
In winter 2023/2024 there were 118 paediatric intensive care unit admissions in infants under one year of age attributed to RSV.
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Adult ICU beds had to be placed on standby for paediatric patients due to the high numbers being admitted to hospital and ICU.
Under the plan, parents will be encouraged to vaccinate their newborns before leaving the hospital and the vaccine would be effective for up to five months, which is the average length of an RSV season. Protection from the vaccine is immediate once administered.
Babies born between September 2024 and February 2025 will be eligible for the jab.
Mr Donnelly drew up plans for a vaccine programme to start for newborns in September following advice from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) that vaccines were safe and effective.
NIAC noted preliminary data from a clinical trial conducted in Europe two years ago, involving over 8,000 infants. The trial reported an 83 per cent reduction in RSV-related hospitalisations in infants.
Advice provided to the Minister suggests applying this evidence to the Irish infant population could result in the avoidance of up to 453 hospitalisations and up to 48 ICU admissions, if there was a 50 per cent take-up among newborns this autumn and winter.
NIAC also advised that an analysis of cost-effectiveness and programmatic considerations are required to determine the most appropriate permanent RSV immunisation strategy.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has been asked to carry out a rapid assessment of immunisation against RSV in Ireland followed by a full Health Technology Assessment, which will include infants and older adults.
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