HIQA commences assessment of RSV immunisation for the 2026-2027 season and beyond
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published a protocol for a health technology assessment (HTA) of immunisation of infants and or adults aged 65 and older against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Ireland.
The primary objective of this HTA is to provide advice to the Minister for Health and Health Service Executive (HSE) to inform a policy decision on the most appropriate RSV immunisation strategy for infants and or adults aged 65 and older in Ireland for the 2026-2027 and subsequent RSV seasons.
RSV is a highly contagious virus that affects the lungs and upper airways and is transmitted by coughing, sneezing or breathing. This virus spreads every winter, with the RSV season in Ireland typically running from October to March. While infection with RSV can usually be managed without seeing a doctor, in some cases severe infections can lead to hospitalisation.
Infants, young children and older adults are particularly vulnerable to serious complications from RSV. Historically, a large number of children, especially infants aged less than one year, are hospitalised each year due to RSV.
This HTA was requested by the Department of Health, and follows HIQA’s previous publication of a rapid HTA of alternative infant and adult immunisation strategies against RSV in Ireland. This rapid HTA was published in August 2024 to inform an interim policy decision on the most appropriate immunisation strategy for the 2025-2026 RSV season.
In June 2024, the Minister for Health announced the RSV Immunisation Pathfinder Programme for the 2024-2025 season. Through this programme, parents of babies born from September 2024 to February 2025 are encouraged to have their newborns immunised with nirsevimab before leaving the maternity unit.
Dr Máirín Ryan, HIQA’s Deputy CEO and Director of Health Technology Assessment, said: “This HTA will build on our rapid HTA published in August 2024, and will include emerging international evidence as well as experience from the HSE’s ongoing RSV Immunisation Pathfinder Programme. This will enable us to provide comprehensive advice to inform a longer-term policy decision about RSV immunisation in Ireland.”
HIQA’s assessment will assess the clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and budget impact of alternative strategies for the immunisation of infants and adults aged 65 years and older against RSV. This HTA will also consider the organisational, resource, ethical, patient and social implications associated with these alternative strategies.
A draft report will be made available in due course for public consultation prior to being finalised and submitted as advice to inform decision-making by the Minister for Health and the HSE.
ENDS
Further information:
Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement 085 805 5202 / mwhelan@hiqa.ie
Notes to Editor:
- The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published the following document:
- Protocol for a health technology assessment of immunisation against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Ireland
- This protocol outlines the evidence synthesis approach that will be used by HIQA’s evaluation team to complete this HTA.
- The request from the Department of Health followed a clinical recommendation from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) regarding the immunisation of infants and older adults against RSV. Information in relation to NIAC is available here.
- Since 2022, new forms of immunisation for infants and adults have been authorised in Europe. New immunisation options for infants currently include nirsevimab (Beyfortus®), which is administered directly to the infant, and the vaccine RSVpreF (Abrysvo®), which is administered to pregnant women, thereby providing infant protection through transplacental antibody transfer. There are currently three vaccines authorised for the immunisation of older adults: RSVpreF (Abrysvo®), RSVPreF3 (Arexvy®) and the RSV mRNA vaccine mRESVIA®.
- HIQA’s rapid HTA of immunisation against respiratory syncytial virus in Ireland can be found here. Further information on RSV can be found here.
- The HSE RSV Immunisation Pathfinder Programme commenced in September 2024 for babies born in the 2024-2025 RSV season. The HSE has reported a significant reduction in infections, serious illnesses and hospitalisations amongst babies born in Ireland since September compared with the same period in 2023. Information on the impact of the HSE’s RSV Pathfinder Programme can be found here.