A new vaccine is to be provided next year to more than 65,000 children, to prevent pneumococcal disease.
The disease can cause meningitis, blood poisoning, pneumonia as well as deafness.
The vaccine will be provided from next autumn as part of the childhood immunisation programme.
The HSE says that a catch up programme involving over 110,000 older children who have missed out on the vaccine will also begin.
Routine vaccination for children against the disease was introduced in Britain early last year.
