TO: All primary schools and SEN schools
FROM: Dr Abigail Collins, Consultant in Public Health Medicine; National Clinical Lead Child Health Public Health
Dr Eamonn OβMoore, Director National Health Protection
RE: HSE Public Health update β Significant rise in RSV/Bronchiolitis infections in young children
DATE: 20 November 2023
We often see a large increase in infections in winter.
Significant increase in RSV infections
We are currently seeing a significant increase in the RSV virus (https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/rsv/), a common winter viral infection which is of particular concern for babies.
Typical symptoms of RSV
Symptoms of viral infections, including RSV typically include:
Β· runny or blocked nose
Β· mild fever
Β· cough
Β· lethargy (tiredness)
Most children with viral infections, including RSV can safely be cared for at home. More information can be found at https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/colds-coughs-children/. However, in babies and young children, (particularly those under 5 years), bronchiolitis can cause more significant difficulties in breathing and feeding. Babies and young children are more likely to need hospital care. (More details on on how to take care of a baby with bronchiolitis at home and when to get help can be found here https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/bronchiolitis/)
Important messages for families and children regarding any infections:
1) The most important measure is for your child to stay home from school and activities if your child is unwell.
Many children might have a runny nose or a slight cough in winter season and still feel well. However, if a child is feeling unwell they should stay at home and away from school and activities until their symptoms have finished and they are feeling well.
See https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/colds-coughs-children/
Children who are unwell with one infection are more likely to get another infection, and may become more significantly unwell. Therefore staying at home will protect your child from other viruses while they are unwell, which may well also be circulating.
Further, Children with symptoms are more likely to spread infections. Staying home when unwell will help prevent spread to other children, families and staff. This is important particularly in primary schools where other children in their class may have younger siblings and babies at home.
Children who have had a viral infection, like bronchiolitis, may have a persistent cough after infection for a few weeks; once the fever and any other symptoms have finished, they should not be excluded because of this persistent cough alone.
Staff: if staff are unwell they also should not attend until their symptoms have resolved.
Older children and staff may not be particularly unwell with RSV, but babies and young children can become very unwell with the infection, therefore taking infection prevention and control measures are very important.
2) Infection, prevention and control measures
– Cover coughs and sneezes
– Keep hands clean
Measures that we all got used to with Covid-19 are still important. They should be encouraged for everyone. These measures help stop the spread of infection.
3) Vaccination
Making sure your child is up to date on all recommended childhood vaccinations will help:
– stop your child getting an infection and
– make them less likely to be unwell if they do get an infection
Routine childhood vaccinations protect against many significant viral and bacterial infections.
More information is available at https://www2.hse.ie/babies-children/vaccines-your-child/
There is currently no vaccine routinely available against RSV infection; but there are vaccines available and recommended for flu and Covid-19.
Flu vaccine
The free nasal spray flu vaccine is available for children aged 2 to 12 years from GP and pharmacies. It helps protect your children from getting seriously ill with the flu, as well as helping to protect babies and grandparents in the family.
See https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/flu/childrens-flu-vaccine/
Many adults are also recommended to have the flu vaccine. More information is available at
www2.hse.ie/conditions/flu/getting-the-vaccine/
Vaccination for Covid-19 is recommended particularly for children with weak immune systems
www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/get-the-vaccine/children/
A PhrΓomhoide, a chara,
Mar eolas, fΓ©ach an nΓ³ta thΓos Γ³n gClΓ‘r SlΓ‘inte LeanaΓ, SlΓ‘inte PoiblΓ FSS maidir leis an ardΓΊ suntasach ar ionfhabhtuithe RSV/Bronchiolitis i leanaΓ Γ³ga. Le do thoil, roinn na pΓ³staeir ceangailte le tuismitheoirΓ agus mΓΊinteoirΓ maidir le ClΓ‘r SlΓ‘inte LeanaΓ, SlΓ‘inte PoiblΓ FSS maidir leis an ardΓΊ suntasach ar ionfhabhtuithe RSV/Bronchiolitis i leanaΓ Γ³ga.
Iniata, tΓ‘ pΓ³staeir ghaolmhara.
Go raibh maith agat.
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CHUIG: Gach bunscoil agus scoil RSO
Γ: Dr Abigail Collins, Comhairleoir i Leigheas SlΓ‘inte PoiblΓ; CeannasaΓ NΓ‘isiΓΊnta SlΓ‘inte LeanaΓ, SlΓ‘inte PoiblΓ
Dr Eamonn OβMoore, StiΓΊrthΓ³ir, Cosaint SlΓ‘inte NΓ‘isiΓΊnta
MAIDIR LE: NuashonrΓΊ SlΓ‘inte PoiblΓ FSSβ MΓ©adΓΊ Suntasach ar Ionfhabhtuithe RSV/Bronchiolitis i leanaΓ Γ³ga
DΓTA: 20 Samhain 2023
Is minic a fheictear mΓ©adΓΊ mΓ³r ar infhabhtuithe sa gheimhreadh.
MΓ©adΓΊ suntasach in infhabhtuithe RSV
Faoi lΓ‘thair ta mΓ©adΓΊ suntasach Γ‘ fheiceΓ‘il sa vΓreas RSV (https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/rsv/), ionfhabhtΓΊ vΓreasach coitianta geimhridh a bhΓonn ina Γ‘bhar imnΓ ar leith do leanaΓ.
ComharthaΓ tipiciΓΊla de RSV
Go hiondΓΊil, is iad na comharthaΓ a bhaineann le hionfhabhtaithe vΓreasacha, lena n-Γ‘irΓtear RSV nΓ‘:
Β· srΓ³n ag sileadh nΓ³ blocΓ‘ilte
Β· fiabhras Γ©adrom
Β· casacht
Β· tΓ‘imhe (tuirse)
Is fΓ©idir cΓΊram sΓ‘bhΓ‘ilte a thabhairt sa bhaile do leanaΓ a bhfuil ionfhabhtuithe vΓreasacha orthu, RSV san Γ‘ireamh. Is fΓ©idir tuilleadh eolais a fhΓ‘il ag https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/colds-coughs-children/. Mar sin fΓ©in, i naΓonΓ‘in agus leanaΓ Γ³ga, (go hΓ‘irithe iad siΓΊd faoi 5 bliana d’aois), is fΓ©idir le bronchiolitis deacrachtaΓ nΓos suntasaΓ a chruthΓΊ maidir le hanΓ‘lΓΊ agus beathΓΊ. Is mΓ³ an seans go mbeidh cΓΊram ospidΓ©il de dhΓth ar naΓonΓ‘in agus ar leanaΓ Γ³ga. (TΓ‘ sonraΓ breise faoin gcaoi le haire a thabhairt sa bhaile do leanbh ar a bhfuil bronchiolitis agus an uair is gΓ‘ cabhair a lorg ar fΓ‘il anseo https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/bronchiolitis/)
TeachtaireachtaΓ tΓ‘bhachtacha do theaghlaigh agus leanaΓ maidir le haon infhabhtuithe:
1) Is Γ© an rud is tΓ‘bhachtaΓ nΓ‘ go bhfanfaidh do leanbh sa bhaile Γ³n scoil agus Γ³ aon ghnΓomhaΓochtaΓ mura bhfuil do leanbh ar fΓ³namh.
DβfhΓ©adfadh go mbeadh srΓ³n ag sileadh nΓ³ casacht bheag ag go leor leanaΓ i rith an gheimhridh ach go mothaΓonn siad ar fΓ³namh mar sin fΓ©in. MΓ‘ tΓ‘ leanbh ag mothΓΊ tinn, Γ‘fach, ba chΓ³ir dΓ³/di fanacht sa bhaile agus Γ³n scoil agus Γ³ ghnΓomhaΓochtaΓ go dtΓ go dtiocfaidh deireadh leis na hairΓonna agus go bhfuil siad ag mothΓΊ go maith.
FΓ©ach https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/colds-coughs-children/
Is mΓ³ an seans go bhfaighidh leanaΓ atΓ‘ tinn le hionfhabhtΓΊ amhΓ‘in ionfhabhtΓΊ eile, agus dβfhΓ©adfadh siad Γ©irΓ i bhfad nΓos measa. DΓ‘ bhrΓ sin, cosnΓ³far do leanbh Γ³ vΓris eile a d’fhΓ©adfadh a bheith ag dul thart mΓ‘ fhanann siad sa bhaile nuair a bhΓonn siad tinn.
Ina theannta sin, is mΓ³ an seans go scaipfidh leanaΓ le hairΓonna ionfhabhtuithe. CabhrΓ³idh fanacht sa bhaile nuair a bhΓonn siad tinn leathadh chuig leanaΓ eile, teaghlaigh agus baill foirne a chosc. TΓ‘ sΓ© seo tΓ‘bhachtach go hΓ‘irithe i mbunscoileanna ina bhfΓ©adfadh siblΓnΓ agus leanaΓ nΓos Γ³ige a bheith ag leanaΓ eile sa bhaile.
DβfhΓ©adfadh leanaΓ a raibh ionfhabhtΓΊ vΓreasach orthu, ar nΓ³s bronchiolitis, casacht leanΓΊnach a bheith acu ar feadh cΓΊpla seachtain tar Γ©is ionfhabhtaithe; a luaithe a bhΓonn an fiabhras agus aon chomharthaΓ eile imithe, nΓor cheart iad a fhΓ‘gΓ‘il ar lar Γ³n scoil toisc casacht leanΓΊnach amhΓ‘in.
An Fhoireann: mΓ‘ bhΓonn baill foirne tinn nΓ cΓ³ir dΓ³ibh freastal ach an oiread go dtΓ go mbΓonn na comharthaΓ imithe.
DβfhΓ©adfadh nach mbeadh leanaΓ nΓos sine agus baill foirne rΓ³-thinn le RSV, ach dβfhΓ©adfadh naΓonΓ‘in agus leanaΓ Γ³ga Γ©irΓ an-tinn leis an ionfhabhtΓΊ, agus mar sin tΓ‘ sΓ© an-tΓ‘bhachtach bearta coiscthe agus rialaithe ionfhabhtaithe a chur i bhfeidhm.
2) IonfhabhtΓΊ, bearta coiscthe agus rialaithe
– ClΓΊdaigh casachtaΓ agus sraothanna
– Coinnigh na lΓ‘mha glan
TΓ‘ tΓ‘bhacht i gcΓ³naΓ leis na bearta a raibh taithΓ againn go lΓ©ir orthu le linn Covid-19. Ba chΓ³ir gach duine a spreagadh chun cloΓ leo. CuidΓonn na bearta seo stop a chur leis an ionfhabhtΓΊ.
3) VacsainiΓΊ
MΓ‘ chinntΓtear go bhfuil do leanbh cothrom le dΓ‘ta maidir le gach vacsaΓniΓΊ Γ³ige a mholtar cuideofar:
– cosc a chur le do leanbh ionfhabhtΓΊ a fhΓ‘il agus
– baol go mbeidh siad tinn mΓ‘ fhaigheann siad ionfhabhtΓΊ a laghdΓΊ
Tugann gnΓ‘th-vacsaΓnithe cosaint do leanaΓ in aghaidh go leor ionfhabhtuithe vΓreasacha agus baictΓ©aracha suntasacha. TΓ‘ tuilleadh eolais ar fΓ‘il ag https://www2.hse.ie/babies-children/vaccines-your-child/
Faoi lΓ‘thair, nΓl aon vacsaΓn ar fΓ‘il mar ghnΓ‘thnΓ³s in aghaidh ionfhabhtΓΊ RSV; ach tΓ‘ vacsaΓnΓ ar fΓ‘il agus molta don fhliΓΊ agus do Covid-19.
VacsaΓn fliΓΊ
TΓ‘ sprae srΓ³ine saor in aisce don vacsaΓn fliΓΊ ar fΓ‘il do leanaΓ idir 2 agus 12 bhliain dβaois Γ³ dhochtΓΊir teaghlaigh agus Γ³ chΓ³gaslanna. CuidΓonn sΓ© seo do leanaΓ a chosaint Γ³ bheith an-tinn leis an bhfliΓΊ, agus cuidΓonn sΓ© freisin naΓonΓ‘in agus seantuismitheoirΓ sa teaghlach a chosaint.
FΓ©ach https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/flu/childrens-flu-vaccine/
Moltar do go leor daoine fΓ‘sta an vacsaΓn fliΓΊ a fhΓ‘il freisin. TΓ‘ tuilleadh eolais ar fΓ‘il ag
www2.hse.ie/conditions/flu/getting-the-vaccine/
Moltar vacsaΓniΓΊ le haghaidh Covid-19 go hΓ‘irithe do leanaΓ a bhfuil cΓ³rais imdhΓonachta laga acu.
www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/get-the-vaccine/children/
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