Important novelty for this autumn in order to tackle the bronchiolitisa lung infection that can be serious in infants and young children and that often overwhelms health centers in the winter period: the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) will manage free a drug for its prevention healthy children under six months.
Until now a drug was given (palivizumab) to little ones because they were premature or because of their pathologies they were considered at risk. But at the end of September a new medicine is going to be administered (nirsivamab) not only to these groups, but also to healthy children less than six monthswhich are very vulnerable.
The reason for this expansion in immunization is the appearance on the market of the new drug, approved last October by the European Medicines Agency, which improves the previous one. While palivizumab protected during one my –which forced him to repeat his administration to cover the five cold months in which the respiratory syncytial virus (VRS) which is the main cause of bronchiolitis–, nirsevimab has a protective effect of about five months.
“There will be a before and after for parents and professionals. Because until now, winter in the ER, hospitalization floors and health centers was bronchiolitis, bronchiolitis and bronchiolitis”, recalls the director of the Strategic Vaccination Plan in Andalusia (Andavac), David Moreno. In fact, last winter, the Maternal and Child Hospital had to expand ICU beds on two occasions due to the increased pressure on care due to this pathology.
The drug is a monoclonal antibody. Unlike the vaccines – that activate the immune system to produce natural defenses–, with this medicine are administered pre-made artificial antibodies. Moreno explains the reasons why in this period of childhood a monoclonal antibody is administered and not a vaccine: “In winter, there are children admitted to hospitals that are barely three days old. A vaccine does not give time to immunize them. In addition, at these ages, the body finds it difficult to create effective defenses.
Moreno adds that -as flu vaccine in children 6 to 59 months which was used to put last autumn for the first time–, also this protection against bronchiolitis comes to stay in the SAS calendar.
The director of Andavac estimates that with immunization after drug administration, the demand for care for bronchiolitis could be reduced by at least 80% next autumn-winter season. For the population it will be free, but for the SAS the improvement supposes a cost of about €11 million for Andalusia throughout the campaign called #StopBronquiolitis.
It will be applied by stages. The first will start at the end of September with the children under six months, premature babies and children who are at risk due to their pathologies. Thus, since immunization lasts about five months, “they will be protected throughout the cold season,” Moreno said. It is not yet closed, but it is foreseeable that it will be administered in hospitals and health centers. The second phase will begin in early October with babies born thereafter. These children will receive the monoclonal antibody in the motherhood itselfbefore being discharged.
This prevention campaign will benefit the healthy children less than six months, premature under one year of age and those with high risk pathologies up to two years.
“It is a promising drug that has arrived all over the world at once. It’s going to have an incredible impact for good,” Moreno summed up. The Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) recommends this drug and has in fact included it in its immunization schedule.
2023-07-28 04:40:00
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