Community of Madrid to Begin Immunizing Infants Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in October

The Community of Madrid will begin this coming month of October to immunize against the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which causes bronchiolitis and pneumonia, to infants under six months, born from April of this year.

As the acting Minister of Health has advanced, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, the process will take place in public hospitals with a summons system specific that will open after the summer.

With this initiative, the Community of Madrid will become “one of the first regions” to facilitate immunization against RSV, main cause of lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia, and in keeping with its decision announced in March to implement preventive measures before the next RSV epidemic season, usually during the fall and winter.

As explained by the counselor in office, the General Directorate of Public Health of the Community of Madrid has already begun the procedures for the acquisition of doses of the monoclonal antibody Niservimaband is finalizing the design of the Surveillance and Control Protocol for RSV bronchiolitis, which includes expanding the surveillance method for this disease, as well as the organization and logistics for the administration of this new immunization in October.

RSV is a common and contagious seasonal pathogen It infects the lower respiratory tract, causing annual epidemics worldwide and most frequently affecting infants.

Generally, the detection of cases increases from the month of October, reaching its epidemic peak between December and January. According to data provided by the Ministry, in Spain 78% of severe cases of bronchiolitis are caused by RSV and it is estimated that almost 10% of healthy hospitalized children require intensive care.

In the Community of Madrid in this 2022-2023 season there have been 3,685 hospital admissions in children under 1 year of age and 300 admissions to pediatric ICUs. The peak of maximum incidence was reached in epidemiological week 47 with an incidence of 400 urgent admissions per 100,000 inhabitants.

Surveillance system

The General Directorate of Public Health launched by 2020 an acute respiratory infection surveillance system from the network of sentinel health centers that provides weekly epidemiological data to favor decision-making.

Ruiz Escudero has lamented that there is no single position at the national level on this immunization, but has defended the position of the Community to administer the vaccine to all children in Madrid who are in these lactating situations up to six months.

“We understand that in this situation there is no need to make a distinction between vulnerability or not, but rather that everyone has to do it and I think it is an important step that we Madrid residents are taking,” defended the acting counselor.

Ruiz Escudero has encouraged parents to protect their babies with this vaccine that “has passed all technical filters” and that protects against a virus with a “significant” impact on this age group.

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