Los risk babies up to two yearsfollowed by the born between April 2023 and March 2024will inaugurate in October the first immunization campaign against respiratory syncytial virus (VRS) confirmed by the majority of communities, although others await the decision of their recent governments.
They will do so by following the document ‘Recommendations for the use of nirsivamab against respiratory syncytial virus for the 2023-2024 season’, prepared by the vaccine report and recently approved by the Public Health Commission.
Nirsevimab, endorsed by the EMA in October of last year, it is a monoclonal antibody to prevent severe disease -not infection, since it is not sterilizing- of the lower respiratory tract in children under 12 months of age during their first RSV season.
A SINGLE PUNCTURE AND WITH OTHER VACCINES
Among other conditions, this virus, which traditionally shows its highest peaks from late December to early January, is the cause of bronquilitis, which affects 10% of children under 1 year of age each year; Of these, between 1 and 2% end up being admitted, 10% of whom have to be treated in the ICU.
The Community of Madrid acquires 50,000 doses of the vaccine against bronchiolitis
After the 2020 break in which it did not circulate, the gradual abandonment of the restrictions brought back the VRS, which seems to have resumed its seasonal pattern, which is going from october to march.
The last season has been especially intense: 17,102 people have been admittedmost of them under one year of age (12,422, 38%), followed by those over 80 (7,618 admissions, 23%).
Until now, there was only one syncytial virus prevention strategy with another monoclonal antibody, palivizumabbut it was restricted to a very small subgroup of children under 2 years of age at high risk of severe disease.
The advantage of the new drug, in addition to opening up prevention to other small ones, is that while palivizumab requires monthly doses (five per season) and adjusted to the weight at the time of administration, nirsevimab requires a single injection that has shown a 5 month efficacy.
Can be administered at the same time as vaccines that are part of the calendarto which that of pediatric flu is also incorporated this year, only using different anatomical areas.
ONLY FOR THIS SEASON
Taking into account “the uncertainties with respect to availability of the drug in Spain“, the General Directorates of Public Health of the Ministry of Health and of the communities have decided to endorse nirsevimab following an order of priority.
The first will be children up to 24 months at high risk of severe disease by RSV: premature infants of less than 35 weeks; with some congenital heart diseases, bronchopulmonary dysplasia or other underlying pathologies that pose a great risk of severe bronchiolitis -among others, those with severe immunosuppression, neuromuscular or pulmonary diseases or Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis or who are in palliative care-.
Bronchiolitis could spread to spring and summer, according to experts
Then, children under 6 months at the beginning or during the VRS season, that is, those born between April 1 of this year and March 31 of next year; Priority should be given to those born during the season, who “should receive nirsevimab very early, preferably in the first 24-48 hours after birth” due to the greater severity of the disease in the first days of life.
Those who were born before, from April onwards, “will be immunized as soon as possible”, ideally for the majority to be already in October.
All these recommendations are only valid for the next season, after which they will be reviewed in order to take into account “other preventive strategies and measures that are being evaluated by regulatory agencies.”
In fact, it is expected that throughout this year vaccines will be authorized in the EU for adults over 60 and pregnantin which case the objective is precisely to avoid cases in newborns exposed to their first season of RSV.
GALICIA, PIONEER
Galicia, where syncytial disease causes some 1,000 hospitalizations a year with an average stay of 6 months and some 3,500 pediatric consultations, was the pioneer in announcing that it would start giving this medicine to its babies in autumn. she followed him Cataloniawhich plans to deploy the campaign in primary care centers and hospitals at a cost of 14.1 million euros.
Madrid will vaccinate babies against bronchiolitis from October
Later, others were added, such as Madridwhich has already acquired 50,000 doses of the drug, in which it has invested 10.8 million to start on October 1.
Andalusia estimates that it will immunize about 60,000 infants; those born between October 1 and March 31, 2024 will do so before discharge from the maternity ward, and those born between April 1 and September 30 will be recruited at the end of this month, as soon as the drug is available.
Other communities that have responded to EFE that they will include nirsevimab in their calendar are Murcia, which estimates that this measure, in which it will invest more than 2.7 million euros, will benefit some 13,000 minors in the region; Canary Islands; Castilla la Mancha; Estremadura; The Rioja; Cantabria and Aragón, which has already started purchasing the medicine.
In Basque Countrythe Health Service, Osakidetza, will finance the monoclonal antibody for high-risk groups, that is, children, the elderly and people with chronic heart or lung diseases.
Meanwhile in Navarra They are awaiting the decision of the new Government. Guillermo Ezpeleta, head of the Epidemiology and Health Prevention Service of the Institute of Public and Labor Health of Navarra (ISPLN), predicts to EFE that it will be delayed until September, after the meeting of the Technical Advisory Commission for Vaccines of Navarra (CATVN).
By balearesthe Ministry of Health is analyzing the matter, of which they will give more details in the coming days, while Asturias cannot provide information about it either, due to the replacement at the head of the Principality’s Health department after the regional elections.
2023-08-09 07:05:40
#vaccine #babies #receive #October #RSV #virus #Telemadrid
