More than 22,000 newborn babies received immunisation against RSV last winter as part of a pilot HSE programme
An expanded Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunisation programme will run this winter, the Health Minister has announced.
The immunisation will be offered in maternity hospitals to all babies born between September 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026.
In addition, it will also be available in clinics nationwide to babies who are aged less than six months old on September, to offer them protection ahead of the seasonal upsurge in infection with RSV later in autumn/winter.
Last winter a total of 22,444 newborn babies received immunisation against RSV as part of a pilot HSE programme to combat the seasonal virus.
The RSV Immunisation Pathfinder Programme, which offered the monoclonal antibody nirsevimab to infants, had an overall uptake of 83 per cent.
The programme led to a fall in the number of RSV cases. There was an estimated 65 per cent reduction in the number of RSV cases throughout the season when compared with 2023-2024.
“Last winter alone, there was an estimated 57 per cent reduction in Emergency Department presentations, a 76 per cent reduction in hospitalisations and a 65 per cent reduction in ICU admissions compared to the previous year,” said Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
“This significant decline highlights just how effective the immunisation has been in protecting our youngest and most vulnerable.
“For new parents, knowing their baby is protected against a potentially serious illness has brought immense reassurance. I want to sincerely thank the dedicated teams across the Health Service Executive who made this success possible.
“Today, I’m delighted to announce that we’re expanding the RSV immunisation programme even further. In addition to newborns receiving immunisation in maternity hospitals, all babies under six months of age on September 1, 2025 will now be eligible for free immunisation at their local clinic, ahead of the anticipated rise in RSV infections later in the autumn/winter period. This is a vital step, as the risk of severe RSV infection is highest in the earliest months of life.
“I encourage all parents to take up this opportunity to safeguard their child’s health. High uptake not only protects individual families it also eases pressure on our health service, allowing resources to be directed where they’re needed most.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Ellen Crushell said:“Prevention is always preferable to treatment, and now being able to prevent many babies from serious illness due to RSV is a wonderful step forward in child and population health.
“Paediatricians have described Nirsevimab as a ‘gamechanger’, reducing the number of illnesses and the severity of cases and reducing the spread of RSV to people who are vulnerable. I would encourage all parents of eligible babies to consider this immunisation for their baby to reduce their risk of illness over the winter and to help protect the health of others around them.”
