New research published in The Lancet Regional Health-Europe found that “even healthy, full-term infants often develop severe RSV, particularly in the first 3 months of life.” CIDRAP has the news.
2.4 million children’s data were analyzed by researchers. 1.7% of those children were diagnosed as having RSV, “corresponding to an incidence of 1,406 cases per 100,000 person-years in children younger than 1 year and 36 per 100,000 person-years in older children. Of children with RSV, 11.9% had severe illness.” Among those children, “36.1% required supplemental oxygen with a high-flow nasal cannula for a median of 18.9 hours, 25.2% received non-invasive ventilation for a median of 25.3 hours, and 32.1% needed mechanical ventilation for a median of 65.8 hours. The median age of children who died was 6.6 months.”
Among all children, “risk factors for ICU admission and death included birth in winter, twins, having siblings aged 3 years or younger, having a sibling hospitalized for lower respiratory tract infection before age 4 years, and having severe chronic conditions.” Underlying diseases were seen “in 52.3% of children admitted to the ICU, 42.6% of those with a prolonged hospitalization, and 77.8% of those who died.”
The authors wrote that “the findings strengthen the evidence supporting universal RSV immunization in children. ‘In settings where universal immunization is not yet feasible, our study provides crucial evidence to guide the prioritization of high-risk groups, not only based on underlying conditions, but on age and other risk factors.’”
