Government approval for an infant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation pathfinder programme has been granted following advice from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee recommending the use of monoclonal antibody immunisation for the 2024/2025 season. The programme will run between September 2024 and February 2025, and the vaccine will be offered to an estimated 28,000 infants during this period. Babies who receive the vaccine on the second day of life will benefit from protection from RSV infection immediately, and for approximately five months afterwards.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Colette Bonner said the programme will help to protect young babies from the adverse effects and risks of RSV infection, and encouraged parents of eligible infants to “take the opportunity to protect their child against RSV and avail of the immunisation as it becomes available”.
An RSV immunisation programme implemented in Galicia, Spain, resulted in an 89 per cent reduction in hospitalisations for infants who received RSV immunisation compared to the rate of hospitalisation in recent years. Based on this evidence, it is estimated that the infant RSV programme will lead to the avoidance of up to 453 hospitalisations and up to 48 ICU admissions (based on 50 per cent of eligible infants receiving the vaccine) in Ireland.
The Health Information and Quality Authority is currently carrying out health technology assessments (HTAs) on RSV immunisation in Ireland to determine whether infant or adult vaccination will provide the greatest benefit in reducing the burdens of RSV infection and to identify the most cost-effective immunisation strategy. The results of these HTAs, together with data from the new pathfinder programme, will inform the development of a longer-term RSV immunisation programme.
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