Rising Respiratory Cases Put Pressure on Children’s Hospitals: 36% Increase in One Week – The Irish Times

Last week, nearly 300 people found themselves hospitalized due to a common respiratory infection, putting children’s hospitals under significant strain as an early winter wave of illness takes hold.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) reported a 36% increase in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) compared to the previous week. The numbers have surged to 617 cases, up from 454, signaling a concerning trend that mirrors last winter’s high infection rates.

The majority of these cases, amounting to 507, are affecting children under the age of 14, with a noticeable uptick in cases among individuals over 65 years old. Hospitalizations related to RSV have reached 284, rivaling last winter’s peak and marking an increase from the previous week’s count of 240.

The Health Service Executive has expressed worries about the impact of low vaccination rates on hospital resources. Consideration is underway to include two newly developed RSV vaccines in the State’s immunization program to combat the rising numbers.

While Covid-19 infections appear stable, with 486 cases last week and 249 hospital patients testing positive, flu infections remain low and steady with 64 cases and 17 hospitalizations. However, vaccination rates remain a concern, with only 59% of those over 70 years old, 18% of 50-69 year-olds, and 9.5% of children aged two to 12 receiving the flu vaccine so far this winter.

Additionally, only 11.5% of healthcare staff have received a Covid-19 booster, while 24.3% have received the flu vaccine. These figures highlight ongoing challenges in vaccination uptake among key demographic groups.

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