New RSV Vaccine 90% Effective at Preventing Hospitalizations in Babies, Study Finds

FRIDAY, March 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Real-world data shows that a vaccine that protects babies against RSV is about 90 percent effective at keeping them out of the hospital.

Those numbers exceed what was expected from Beyfortus (nirsevimab), which in clinical trials had prevented the need for medical care for RSV infection by 79 percent and hospitalization by 81 percent, researchers from the Centers report. for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Beyfortus is recommended for all babies under 8 months of age during their first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season, according to the CDC.

RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization in young children, responsible for between 50,000 and 80,000 children under age 5 admitted to U.S. hospitals each year, according to the CDC.

Beyfortus is a monoclonal antibody that specifically stimulates the baby’s immune system to fight RSV infections. It was approved by the FDA last summer, so this was the first cold and flu season where the drug had a chance to prove itself.

There are also RSV vaccines available, but they are only recommended for older people and pregnant women.

In the new study, CDC scientists followed 699 babies over the past five months, using early data from the agency’s New Vaccine Monitoring Network.

The results show that Beyfortus was 90% effective in preventing RSV-related hospitalizations in infants.

Babies with high-risk medical conditions were more likely to receive the vaccine than healthier babies, 46 percent versus 6 percent, according to the CDC.

“RSV prevention products remain our most important tool to protect babies from RSV,” the agency noted in a news release.

The CDC said this was a shorter surveillance period than usual, and that the effectiveness of Beyfortus may be lower during a full RSV season that runs from October to March. This is because protection against monoclonal antibodies usually decreases over time.

Nirsevimab is specifically for babies whose mothers did not receive an RSV vaccine during pregnancy, according to the CDC. Inoculation of the mother against RSV transfers protective antibodies to the baby.

The study appears in the March 7 issue of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

More information

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more information about protecting against RSV for infants and young children.

SOURCE: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), news release, March 7, 2024

2024-03-11 23:16:00
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