Parents are being reminded of the importance of continuing to vaccinate their babies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the director of the HSE's National Immunisation Office, Dr Lucy Jessop, the advice from the HSE and the World Health Organization (WHO) has not changed and vaccines "must be given at their recommended time to provide maximum protection from vaccine-preventable diseases".

"We know people are worried about COVID-19, but other infectious diseases are also a threat and so vaccines for babies, pregnant women and people in at-risk groups should continue at this time through GP practices.

"Delaying vaccines is putting you and your children at unnecessary risk of vaccine-preventable diseases at the time they are most vulnerable to these diseases," Dr Jessop explained.

She noted that the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) continues to report cases of vaccine-preventable disease during the COVID-19 pandemic and "many of these cases could have been prevented by getting vaccinated on time".

"We would encourage parents to continue to get their babies vaccinated on time. Please phone your GP practice to make an appointment and follow their advice to protect you, your baby and the practice staff.

"For example, they will advise you to give your baby liquid paracetamol after the MenB vaccine at two or four months of age, because babies can get a fever after this vaccine. Don't forget to take your vaccination passport with you so your baby's records are up to date," Dr Jessop said.

Vaccines for babies are recommended at two, four, six, 12 and 13 months of age and these protect against 13 vaccine-preventable diseases.

The pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine is recommended for pregnant women, from 16-36 weeks of pregnancy, to protect them and their babies in the first few months of life when they are too young to be vaccinated.

The vaccines provided to babies and pregnant women through the national immunisation programme are available free of charge through GP practices.

Meanwhile, the HSE School Immunisation Programme is on hold while schools remain closed. The HSE hopes to reinstate this important programme when schools reopen.

HSE school vaccination teams were due to give the 4-in-1 and MMR vaccine to junior infants in primary schools, and give a second dose of the HPV vaccine and a dose of the MenACWY vaccine to first year students in secondary schools, before schools closed.

Parents are being reassured that students who have had one dose of the HPV vaccine will not need to restart their HPV vaccine schedule when the vaccination programme starts again.

For more information on the National Immunisation Programme, click here.