Researchers advise earlier RSV shots for infants in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba

Infants living on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba may benefit from getting their RSV vaccination earlier than children in the European Netherlands. According to researchers at Radboudumc in Nijmegen, giving the jab in the spring would better match the islands’ seasonal cycle.

Infants have been able to get vaccinated against RSV since last fall. The injection is typically administered in September or October, reflecting the fact that the virus is most prevalent in the Netherlands during the autumn and winter months.

Although the Dutch immunization timetable also covers the Caribbean special municipalities, their climate differs significantly from that of the European Netherlands.

On Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba, RSV mainly circulates during the rainy months between June and December. Vaccinating infants in September or October means they lack protection at the start of the season, while by the following rainy period, the protective antibodies have largely worn off.

For this reason, the researchers recommend giving the shot on the BES islands shortly before the rainy season begins. “It allows us to provide stronger protection for infants living there,” they explain.

The respiratory syncytial virus can lead to serious lung infections, posing the greatest danger to very young babies. Children with Down syndrome or congenital heart conditions are especially vulnerable.

Research released last month showed that, in the first four months of the vaccination program in the Netherlands, 43 infants with RSV were admitted to intensive care, compared with 178 babies during the same months the year before.