First babies immunized against RSV as part of Dutch national program
On Monday, babies in the Netherlands are being immunized for the first time against the Respiratory Syncytial Virus, better known as the RS virus. RS causes respiratory infections, and infants in particular can become seriously ill from it and even die. According to NOS, pediatricians expect the shots to prevent much suffering starting this year.
The shot, called Nirsevimab, is not technically a vaccination but an immunization. That means the antibodies against the virus are already in the shot and do not need to be produced by the baby after injection. As a result, side effects are rare. The shot provides almost immediate protection for about six months.
Because the RS virus peaks in the winter, the RIVM has chosen to tie the timing of the injection to the baby’s date of birth. Babies born between October 1 and March 1 can receive the shot before they are two weeks old. For the rest, the injection will be given in September or October.
Worldwide, the disease is the leading cause of death among infants after malaria. In the Netherlands, deaths are rare, but each year between 1,500 and 3,000 children are hospitalized with RS. About 150 of them end up in intensive care, which becomes overburdened every fall and winter.
In other countries, where this injection—approved in 2023—has already been in use longer, hospitalizations have reportedly fallen by 80 percent, according to the RIVM.
