WHO Recommends New Immunization Products to Protect Infants against RSV                      

WHO says that two immunization products should be used on infants to fight RSV and lower the risks of serious infections, hospitalization, and deaths among babies worldwide.

According to the first position paper released by the World Health Organization (WHO), RSV is a leading cause of severe respiratory disease in infants worldwide and a new immunization has been developed to help. Every year, RSV leads to around 100,000 deaths and 3.6 million hospitalizations in children aged five and below and most deaths are reported in places where access to healthcare is hard to come by.

WHO suggests pregnant women in their third trimester get a maternal vaccine and infants get a long-acting monoclonal antibody called nirsevimab at birth or prior to their first check-up. The products are meant to keep more severe cases of RSV from happening, require fewer people to be admitted and reduce the number who die.

She strongly believes these supportive treatments protect babies and particularly those who are born too early. After receiving the maternal vaccine, the baby gets antibodies and nirsevimab can protect the child for five months, especially during RSV season.

The guidelines from the WHO urge countries to use either drug considering their healthcare capacity and expenses. In September 2024, the WHO’s advisory group advised using either immunization or the maternal vaccine was prequalified for purchase by UN agencies in early 2025.

It supports worldwide efforts to control RSV by leading policy designers and healthcare managers to expand preventive immunization programs to shield infants from infection.