This Friday, March 1, vaccination against the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which causes bronchiolitis, will begin throughout the country.
It is for pregnant people, with the aim of providing, through the
transplacental passage of antibodies
, protection against bronchiolitis during the first six months of life, which is the time of
greatest vulnerability
to suffer severe symptoms due to infection by this virus.
The Ministry of Health of the Nation announced that a dose of this vaccine will be applied to all pregnant people
between weeks 32 and 36 of gestation
, before the start and during the RSV circulation season.
This new strategy was incorporated into the National Vaccination Calendar (CNV) on January 1, 2024, so access is free.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus is the main cause of acute lower respiratory infections in childhood and particularly in infants under one year of age.
It also causes
an increase in hospitalizations
, with eventual complications with critical care requirements and a high level of outpatient consultations in the winter season.
"The incorporation of the RSV vaccine would contribute to the decrease in neonatal and post-neonatal infant mortality in our country, by reducing infection by this virus in girls and boys under six months of age. Likewise, it will contribute to
reducing the high percentages of occupation in general hospitalization wards
, pediatric and neonatal intensive care beds caused by the virus," they said from the Ministry.
The RSV vaccine was authorized by the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT).
Studies indicate that efficacy against severe disease is
81.8% in the first 90 days of life
.
The vaccine generated a
consensus
on the part of the ministers of the 24 jurisdictions of the country and the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommended its application.
"During the last month, the technical guidelines for vaccination against RSV were disseminated, along with a quick guide for health personnel at vaccination centers throughout the country, with training available online that allows the country's health personnel to have access to the best quality of information about the new strategy," added the official sources.
P.S.