CUH launches Ireland's first public treatment programme for children with peanut and tree nut allergies
The hospital has become the first and only public hospital here to offer the life-changing food oral immunotherapy (OIT) programme to children aged under five, as part of routine clinical care.
Professor Colin Hawkes, the clinical director of the paediatrics directorate at CUH, described it as a major milestone for allergy care in Ireland.
'We know that children with nut allergies and their families live with constant vigilance and fear," he said.
"By offering oral immunotherapy in the public healthcare system, CUH is not only improving safety but also restoring a sense of normalcy and freedom for these young patients. This development is one of many ways in which CUH is delivering excellence in paediatric care, innovation, and research.'
A child with a nut allergy lives with the worry of accidentally eating them, and of serious allergic reactions like anaphylaxis, which often need emergency medicine, hospital visits, and causes a lot of stress.
(Left to right) Dr Sadhbh Hurley, Dr Juan E. Trujillo Wurttele and Dr Colin Hawkes at Cork University Hospital.
OIT treatment involves the gradual introduction of an allergenic food into their diet in increasing amounts, helping patients build tolerance, and helping the immune system reduce the risk and severity of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.
While not a cure, it is proven to reduce accidental reactions and improve day-to-day safety and confidence.
Until now, Irish families hoping to access OIT have had to travel abroad, facing annual private costs ranging from €6,000 to €18,000. But since its launch in May, CUH says more than 30 oral immunotherapy courses have been completed through the programme, with participating families reporting fewer allergic reactions and a significant reduction in day-to-day anxiety.
Referrals to the service are now being accepted nationwide, and by 2027 it is expected that 170 to 200 new nut-allergic children will begin treatment through the programme annually. The CUH team plans to launch new supra-regional specialty allergy clinics in Limerick and Clonmel, to extend the reach of the specialist service to children and families across Munster and beyond.
Dr Juan Trujillo, a consultant paediatric allergist at CUH, and Dr Sadhbh Hurley, a consultant paediatrician, said the new service is a major step toward equitable access to allergy care.
'Initiating this service has been a priority of the allergy team in CUH for some time,' Dr Trujillo said. 'We are delighted to now be able to provide this care which will dramatically increase the quality of life and safety of nut-allergic patients attending CUH.'
CUH, in partnership with University College Cork, is also the only centre of excellence in Ireland accredited by the World Allergy Organisation (WAO) and has been involved in global OIT clinical trials for more than a decade.
The new OIT programme brings that international expertise directly to Irish patients, delivering both cutting-edge treatment and significant quality of life improvements for affected families.
'The WAO centre of excellence in allergy is a result of CUH and UCC's collaboration, which has enabled the integration of clinical care and research,' Dr Trujillo, co-director of the Centre of Excellence, said.
'Our OIT program is an example of this and will deliver even higher standards of care for children across the region and beyond.'
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