A new vaccine has been proposed that could reduce serious illnesses in children by 80%.
Starting Monday, infants in the Netherlands will receive a vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in an important step aimed at preventing serious illnesses in newborns and alleviating pressure on intensive care units. RSV is the second deadliest virus for infants worldwide after malaria. Although deaths in the Netherlands are rare, between 1,500 and 3,000 infants develop serious illness each year, with about 150 needing admission to intensive care.
The increase in the number of infants in intensive care has forced Dutch hospitals to seek assistance from hospitals in Germany and Belgium to be able to perform other urgent surgeries. Experts hope that the new vaccine will significantly reduce this burden.
The vaccine has become part of the national immunization program and uses an antibody called "Nirsevimab". Unlike traditional vaccines, it provides immediate protection for infants without the need for them to produce their own antibodies. The protection lasts for six months, and the likelihood of side effects is very low.
The campaign is being implemented gradually to coincide with the peak spread of the virus in winter. Children born between April 1 and September 30 will receive the vaccine in September or October, while children born between October 1 and March 31 will be vaccinated within two weeks of their birth. International results show the vaccine's effectiveness, with countries using it since 2023 reporting an 80% decrease in hospitalizations due to RSV.
Despite these promising results, there are still doubts among some parents. Research from the Radboud University Medical Center has shown that about a quarter of parents are skeptical about the effectiveness of the RSV vaccine. However, most of these parents choose to vaccinate their children against other serious diseases such as polio, diphtheria, and whooping cough. The research also pointed to a concerning trend, as vaccination rates in the Netherlands have declined, with vaccination coverage for children under two not reaching the critical level of 90% in 2022, increasing the risk of infectious disease outbreaks among children.