Immunization Campaign against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Begins for Children Under Six Months – Important Information for Parents

On the verge of this coming Monday, September 25, the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) will begin the immunization campaign against the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, for children under six months, the College of Physicians of Cádiz (COMCADIZ) encourages fathers and mothers to respond to the summons that they have begun to receive from the Ministry of Health since last September 15.

Doctors Concepción Villaescusa and María Jesús Mojón, territorial delegates of the College of Physicians, together with the pediatrician Dr. Carmen Fidalgo and as coordinators of the COMCADIZ Parent School, call on parents to respond favorably to this campaign, which It is of particular importance as RSV is the main cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and causes 80% of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, with high admission rates and a described risk of short and long-term complications. term. As the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) warns, the majority of hospitalizations due to this virus occur in healthy infants.

Immunization at this time of year is particularly recommended since RSV circulates especially in the months from October to March. This campaign will be carried out until March 31, 2024 with the hashtag #StopBronchiolitis and the objective of achieving high administration rates. The monoclonal antibody that will be administered like a vaccine is Nirsevimab, through a single dose that provides protection for at least least five months.

As reported by the Junta de Andalucía, the doses will be administered to all children born from October 1 to March 31, 2024, as well as to all infants born between April 1 and September 30, 2023. to whom the campaign that begins this Monday is directed.

In addition, it will be administered to children under one year old with a history of prematurity of less than 35 weeks, as well as to other infants with very high-risk chronic pathologies who are up to 24 months old.

2023-09-23 04:00:00
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