Erba Hospital has started the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination campaign. Started on November 4, 2024, it will last throughout autumn and winter. The initiative aims to protect infants, who are particularly vulnerable to the virus that can cause serious respiratory infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Infants born between November 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, will be given a dose of nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody that can offer protection throughout the winter season, similar to a vaccine.
Chief of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Dr. Filippo Favuzza, stressed the importance of prophylaxis, considering that RSV is responsible for more than half of the cases of bronchiolitis in children under five years old, with risk of acute respiratory failure in infants and frequent hospitalizations. Although nirsevimab has been approved in Europe for more than two years, its administration in Italy has been limited until now. In fact, during the 2023 outbreak, only the Aosta Valley had access to this prophylaxis, while other European countries such as Spain, France, and Germany made it available, resulting in a reduction in pediatric RSV hospitalizations by more than 80%.
