NEW NATIONAL immunisation guidelines to be published shortly will recommend that women of child-bearing age, that is aged 12 years and over, who have no history of having had chickenpox should be vaccinated against the infection.
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) will also look at the case for universal vaccination of the population against chickenpox once two new vaccines in the childhood immunisation schedule - those against pneumococcal disease, a bacteria that causes meningitis and pneumonia, and against hepatitis B, a virus that can lead to liver failure - are implemented in September.
Several countries such as Germany, Canada, Australia, and the United States, already vaccinate all children against chickenpox.
A study presented at the inaugural annual scientific meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of Ireland in Dublin yesterday indicated that some 132 children had to be hospitalised with complications associated with chickenpox in 2007. A small number of these ended up in intensive care.
Complications included skin and soft tissue infection, abscess, septicaemia and one child even suffered a stroke. No deaths were reported.
Dr Jacqueline McBrien, who presented the data, said less than one-third of these children had pre-existing medical conditions.
The majority of those who suffered complications were under five years of age and she said the time the children had spent in hospital ranged between one and 35 days.
"We concluded that significant morbidity and the potential mortality associated with chickenpox and shingles would only be preventable by universal immunisation," she said.
Meanwhile, in a report this month the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) noted that "universal varicella vaccination [vaccination with the chickenpox vaccine] in early childhood is an attractive policy option, however, the costs and benefits of this to the schedule of childhood immunisation need to be carefully weighted against the benefit to the population of implementing other options for programme expansion in Ireland".
It adds that the Niac has identified other priorities first - the introduction of vaccines against pneumococcal disease and hepatitis B - but it has also recommended those in high risk groups receive the varicella vaccination.
High risk groups include women of childbearing age who have no history of having had chickenpox.
This is because chickenpox in a pregnant woman could put her at risk of miscarriage and her baby at risk of brain damage.
Dr Darina O'Flanagan, director of the HPSC, said the issue of universal vaccination would be considered by the Niac once the other new vaccines being introduced later this year had bedded in.