Universal immunisation of newborns against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) could prevent a large share of winter hospitalisations among infants across Europe.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that can cause severe illness in very young children, particularly in their first months of life, according to new modelling published on Wednesday by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Protecting infants early is “particularly important”, and universal immunisation of newborns can cut the risk of hospitalisation due to respiratory infections in young children by more than half, Bruno Ciancio, an ECDC Head of Unit, said.
The ECDC report examined two approaches — vaccinating expectant mothers or immunising infants directly using long-acting monoclonal antibodies, which are laboratory-made proteins that help the immune system fight a virus.
Assuming 90% of newborns receive long-acting monoclonal antibodies at birth, the models project that 61% of RSV-related hospitalisations in infants could be prevented in the first two months of life, ECDC estimates.
Vaccination during pregnancy also modelled
The same assessment suggests vaccinating pregnant women could also reduce RSV hospitalisations among infants in the first two months of life, with the ECDC estimating a 52% reduction.
RSV season typically overlaps with other winter respiratory infections such as influenza, which can increase the risk of serious illness in children and add pressure on healthcare services, the agency added.
