HSE- significant rise in RSV/Bronchiolitis infections in young children

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 O’Moore, Director National Health Protection

RE:                       HSE Public Health update – 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:

·         runny or blocked nose

·         mild fever

·         cough

·         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 Phríomhoide, a chara,

Mar eolas, féach an nóta thíos ón gClár Sláinte Leanaí, Sláinte Poiblí FSS maidir leis an ardú suntasach ar ionfhabhtuithe RSV/Bronchiolitis i leanaí óga. Le do thoil, roinn na póstaeir ceangailte le tuismitheoirí agus múinteoirí maidir le Clár Sláinte Leanaí, Sláinte Poiblí FSS maidir leis an ardú suntasach ar ionfhabhtuithe RSV/Bronchiolitis i leanaí óga.

Iniata, tá póstaeir ghaolmhara.

Go raibh maith agat.

CHUIG:                Gach bunscoil agus scoil RSO

Ó:                     Dr Abigail Collins, Comhairleoir i Leigheas Sláinte Poiblí; Ceannasaí Náisiúnta Sláinte Leanaí, Sláinte Poiblí

Dr Eamonn O’Moore, Stiúrthóir, Cosaint Sláinte Náisiúnta

MAIDIR LE:        Nuashonrú Sláinte Poiblí FSS– Méadú Suntasach ar Ionfhabhtuithe RSV/Bronchiolitis i leanaí óga

DÁTA:                 20 Samhain 2023

Is minic a fheictear méadú mór ar infhabhtuithe sa gheimhreadh.

Méadú suntasach in infhabhtuithe RSV

Faoi láthair ta méadú suntasach á fheiceáil sa víreas RSV (https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/rsv/), ionfhabhtú víreasach coitianta geimhridh a bhíonn ina ábhar imní ar leith do leanaí.

Comharthaí tipiciúla de RSV

Go hiondúil, is iad na comharthaí a bhaineann le hionfhabhtaithe víreasacha, lena n-áirítear RSV ná:

·         srón ag sileadh nó blocáilte

·         fiabhras éadrom

·         casacht

·         táimhe (tuirse)

Is féidir cúram sábháilte a thabhairt sa bhaile do leanaí a bhfuil ionfhabhtuithe víreasacha orthu, RSV san áireamh. Is féidir tuilleadh eolais a fháil ag https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/colds-coughs-children/. Mar sin féin, i naíonáin agus leanaí óga, (go háirithe iad siúd faoi 5 bliana d’aois), is féidir le bronchiolitis deacrachtaí níos suntasaí a chruthú maidir le hanálú agus beathú. Is mó an seans go mbeidh cúram ospidéil de dhíth ar naíonáin agus ar leanaí óga. (Tá sonraí breise faoin gcaoi le haire a thabhairt sa bhaile do leanbh ar a bhfuil bronchiolitis agus an uair is gá cabhair a lorg ar fáil anseo https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/bronchiolitis/)

Teachtaireachtaí tábhachtacha do theaghlaigh agus leanaí maidir le haon infhabhtuithe:

1)          Is é an rud is tábhachtaí ná go bhfanfaidh do leanbh sa bhaile ón scoil agus ó aon ghníomhaíochtaí mura bhfuil do leanbh ar fónamh.

D’fhéadfadh go mbeadh srón ag sileadh nó casacht bheag ag go leor leanaí i rith an gheimhridh ach go mothaíonn siad ar fónamh mar sin féin. Má tá leanbh ag mothú tinn, áfach, ba chóir dó/di fanacht sa bhaile agus ón scoil agus ó ghníomhaíochtaí go dtí go dtiocfaidh deireadh leis na hairíonna agus go bhfuil siad ag mothú go maith.

Féach https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/colds-coughs-children/

Is mó an seans go bhfaighidh leanaí atá tinn le hionfhabhtú amháin ionfhabhtú eile, agus d’fhéadfadh siad éirí i bhfad níos measa. Dá bhrí sin, cosnófar do leanbh ó víris eile a d’fhéadfadh a bheith ag dul thart má fhanann siad sa bhaile nuair a bhíonn siad tinn.

Ina theannta sin, is mó an seans go scaipfidh leanaí le hairíonna ionfhabhtuithe. Cabhróidh fanacht sa bhaile nuair a bhíonn siad tinn leathadh chuig leanaí eile, teaghlaigh agus baill foirne a chosc. Tá sé seo tábhachtach go háirithe i mbunscoileanna ina bhféadfadh siblíní agus leanaí níos óige a bheith ag leanaí eile sa bhaile.

D’fhéadfadh leanaí a raibh ionfhabhtú víreasach orthu, ar nós bronchiolitis, casacht leanúnach a bheith acu ar feadh cúpla seachtain tar éis ionfhabhtaithe; a luaithe a bhíonn an fiabhras agus aon chomharthaí eile imithe, níor cheart iad a fhágáil ar lar ón scoil toisc casacht leanúnach amháin.

An Fhoireann:  má bhíonn baill foirne tinn ní cóir dóibh freastal ach an oiread go dtí go mbíonn na comharthaí imithe.

D’fhéadfadh nach mbeadh leanaí níos sine agus baill foirne ró-thinn le RSV, ach d’fhéadfadh naíonáin agus leanaí óga éirí an-tinn leis an ionfhabhtú, agus mar sin tá sé an-tábhachtach bearta coiscthe agus rialaithe ionfhabhtaithe a chur i bhfeidhm.

2)      Ionfhabhtú, bearta coiscthe agus rialaithe

–          Clúdaigh casachtaí agus sraothanna

–          Coinnigh na lámha glan

Tá tábhacht i gcónaí leis na bearta a raibh taithí againn go léir orthu le linn Covid-19. Ba chóir gach duine a spreagadh chun cloí leo. Cuidíonn na bearta seo stop a chur leis an ionfhabhtú.

3)      Vacsainiú

Má chinntítear go bhfuil do leanbh cothrom le dáta maidir le gach vacsaíniú óige a mholtar cuideofar:

–          cosc a chur le do leanbh ionfhabhtú a fháil agus 

–          baol go mbeidh siad tinn má fhaigheann siad ionfhabhtú a laghdú

Tugann gnáth-vacsaínithe cosaint do leanaí in aghaidh go leor ionfhabhtuithe víreasacha agus baictéaracha suntasacha. Tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ag https://www2.hse.ie/babies-children/vaccines-your-child/

Faoi láthair, níl aon vacsaín ar fáil mar ghnáthnós in aghaidh ionfhabhtú RSV; ach tá vacsaíní ar fáil agus molta don fhliú agus do Covid-19.

Vacsaín fliú

Tá sprae sróine saor in aisce don vacsaín fliú ar fáil do leanaí idir 2 agus 12 bhliain d’aois ó dhochtúir teaghlaigh agus ó chógaslanna. Cuidíonn sé seo do leanaí a chosaint ó bheith an-tinn leis an bhfliú, agus cuidíonn sé freisin naíonáin agus seantuismitheoirí sa teaghlach a chosaint.

Féach https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/flu/childrens-flu-vaccine/

Moltar do go leor daoine fásta an vacsaín fliú a fháil freisin. Tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ag

www2.hse.ie/conditions/flu/getting-the-vaccine/

Moltar vacsaíniú le haghaidh Covid-19 go háirithe do leanaí a bhfuil córais imdhíonachta laga acu.

www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/get-the-vaccine/children/