Northern Ireland Executive

07/19/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/18/2025 17:27

Vulnerable babies to be offered first long-acting injection for common winter virus

Vulnerable babies to be offered first long-acting injection for common winter virus

Date published: 19 July 2025

Babies born very prematurely in Northern Ireland will be offered a single long-acting injection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) later this year.

Nirsevimab will replace the current jab, Palivizumab, following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in February 2023. It will be available from Autumn for the eligible cohort, including high risk infants and those born too early to be protected by the RSV vaccine offered to pregnant women.

Nirsevimab offers over 80% protection against the virus and is administered as a single injection that provides protection right through an RSV season - from September to February each year.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said:

"The risk of contracting RSV for children born very prematurely in their first winter is extremely serious and has a significant impact on our health service each year. My Department has approved using this new vaccine in line with the approach being taken across the other UK nations.

"This innovative vaccine further strengthens our winter preparedness to prevent avoidable hospital admissions and reduce pressures on GPs and Emergency Departments. It follows on from the launch of an RSV vaccination programme for pregnant women and adults aged 75-79 years old last year.

"I would encourage parents and guardians of those eligible to avail of the vaccination to help protect their baby from illness."

Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Michael McBride said:

"RSV is a potentially serious virus, particularly for very young babies. Vaccinations have been extremely effective in eradicating diseases and protecting children and other vulnerable groups from serious illness and death.

"Worryingly, we are now seeing a decline in the uptake of childhood immunisations. Vaccinations offer children the very best start in life. Quite simply, if children aren't vaccinated, they're not protected."

Nirsevimab will be available right across the UK after NHS England, supported by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), worked with the manufacturer, Sanofi, to agree a cost-effective commercial price to secure access for high-risk infants.

The 2023 JCVI advice stated that a long-acting monoclonal immunisation should be considered for eligible high-risk and very preterm infants - born before 32 weeks. RSV can lead to life-threatening pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis, a lung infection.

Nirsevimab will replace palivizumab as the recommended medicine for eligible babies from September / October.

Notes to editors:

  1. In 2024, the Department of Health announced the new vaccination programme against RSV. Read the announcement here.
  2. RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms in adults and children, however the severity of illness developed can vary. For infants, RSV can cause bronchiolitis which can be serious.
  3. Around 9,000 infants across the UK, in or before their first RSV season, are expected to benefit from nirsevimab with rollout anticipated to start from late September, to prepare for the arrival of higher rates of RSV usually seen through the colder months.
  4. Nirsevimab offers over 80% protection, compared to Palivizumab's 55% protection, and is administered through one injection, compared with up to five with Palivizumab.
  5. Both nirsevimab and palivizumab are a type of drug called a monoclonal antibody (mAbs) that provide ready-made immune protection directly to the baby. They work differently to the RSV vaccine offered through the NHS to pregnant women: vaccination boosts the mother's immune system to make extra protective antibodies which are passed to the baby in the womb, giving protection from birth. Since September 2024, the maternal vaccine has been offered to pregnant women in the UK to protect babies.

  6. RSV statistics for the 0-4 age group for 2024 and until 06/07/2025 in Northern Ireland:

    *community acquired emergency RSV hospital admissions RSV episodes are defined by a 14-day (2-week) period from the date of the first positive test result (utilising any test method, including PCR and Point of Care Tests, or source of sample, including hospital, GP, other source), with the episode beginning with the earliest positive specimen date. Subsequent positive specimen dates for the same individual within 14 days of the last are included in the one episode. Positive specimens for the same individual more than 14 days after the last are counted in a separate episode. Community-acquired RSV emergency admissions to acute hospitals are estimated by combining data from PAS, EPIC and virological reports in NIHAP. Admissions are counted where there was a positive test up to seven days before admission or up to one day after admission, and the method of admission was 'Emergency'. The number of inpatients is counted at midnight. Admissions and occupancy refer to the first admission per infection episode.

  7. RSV infects 90% of children by the age of two and is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in the first year of life
  8. For media enquiries please contact the DoH Press Office by email [email protected].

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  10. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

Northern Ireland Executive published this content on July 19, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 18, 2025 at 23:27 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]