This coming Monday, September 25, the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) will start an immunization campaign for children under 6 months old against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia . Cadiz doctors (COMCADIZ) have been receiving subpoenas from the Ministry of Health since September 15 last year, encouraging fathers and mothers to respond.
The Regional Representatives of the College of Physicians, Concepción Villaescusa and Doctors María Jesús Mojón, together with pediatrician Dr. Carmen Fidalgo and the COCADIZ Parent School Coordinator, appeal to parents to actively participate in this campaign, which is particularly important since RSV is the main cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants, and causes 80% of cases of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, with high rates of hospital admission and risk of short- and long-term complications. As the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) warns, most babies hospitalized with the virus are healthy babies.
Immunization is particularly recommended at this time of year because RSV is particularly spread between October and March. The campaign will run until March 31, 2024 with the hashtag #StopBronchiolitis and aims to achieve high dosing rates. The monoclonal antibody that will be administered like a vaccine is Nirsevimab, which provides protection for at least five people for several months with a single dose.
All children born between October 1 and March 31, 2024, and all babies born between April 1 and September 30, 2023, will receive these vaccines, the Junta de Andalusia reported. Be guided.
In addition, treatment will be given to children younger than 1 year old who were born prematurely at less than 35 weeks, and other infants younger than 24 months with very high-risk chronic conditions.