Donegal parents urged to vaccinate their babies against harmful respiratory illness

All parents of eligible babies in Donegal are being urged to avail of the extended RSV immunisation programme.

The HSE says it’s building on last winter’s very successful RSV immunisation programme, which was delivered to newborn babies in maternity settings and higher-risk babies in the community.

The programme, which is provided free-of-charge, significantly reduced infections, serious illness and hospitalisations.

Donegal is consistently one of the lowest counties in terms of vaccine uptake, with much of the scepticism driven by conspiracy theorists online; however, the HSE has revealed how the vaccine resulted in a 65 per cent reduction in RSV cases last year, with a 76 per cent reduction in babies requiring hospitalisation.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a largely seasonal respiratory illness that can affect any age group but can be particularly impactful on very young children. RSV is a significant cause of severe respiratory illness among children under two years of age and is also the most common cause of hospital admissions due to acute respiratory illness in young children.

It can cause chest infections like bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lungs) in infants, and the risk is highest in children aged less than six months.

The RSV immunisation programme is being delivered by trained midwives in all maternity settings after birth and before the baby is discharged, and by vaccination teams in the community for children born since March 1st, as well as at home for higher-risk babies (including those who are premature).

This winter season, the HSE will once again offer RSV immunisation in maternity settings to all babies born from 1st September 2025 to 28th February 2026, as well as extending the programme to all babies born in the six-month period from 1st March 2025 to 31st August 2025 across various community sites.

Every winter, RSV infection causes hospitalisations, including some serious illness, especially among young infants, warns HSE National Director for Health Protection, Dr Éamonn O’Moore.

“Before the introduction of the programme each winter, four out of every 100 infants were hospitalised due to RSV, with some infants needing special treatment in intensive care units. A further 50 out of every 100 infants got RSV and many needed medical care from their GP, or the emergency department of a children’s hospital.”

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Regional Director of Public Health, Dr Áine McNamara said: “I would strongly encourage parents of all eligible babies to take up the offer when the programme begins in September.”

“As well as protecting young babies against serious illness, the RSV immunisation programme will help safeguard vital hospital paediatric services during the very busy winter months by limiting preventable admissions caused by RSV-related illness.”

Parents of babies born from 1st March to 31st August can book an appointment at a local community site from Monday 25th August on the RSV Immunisation page of the HSE website: www2.hse.ie/conditions/rsv/immunisation/

Parents and guardians are advised to book early to ensure their child is protected ahead of any surge in RSV infections later in the autumn/winter.

Parents of babies born from 1st September to 28th February 2026 will be offered the vaccine before they leave the hospital.