Immunization against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, which causes most of the bronchiolitis) has reduced this autumn by 77% visits to the emergency room of babies in Catalonia. It is the same virus as last year at this time It saturated the emergency rooms and pediatric ICUs in the territory. Catalonia began, for the first time this September, to vaccinate babies up to six months old against this virus, and thus hoped to reduce pediatric admissions by 80%. Until this year there were no approved drugs.
Additionally, this fall, the hospitalization in ward of children due to bronchiolitis has been 84.5% lower and in ucis, 87.4% lower. What is most worrying this fall are the pneumonias diagnosed by the CAP in children under 14 years of age, and which could be due, according to Salut, to the bacteria ‘mycoplasma’, which is causing an epidemic in China that is already saturating Asian hospitals.
In Catalonia, the current coverage of the RSV vaccine has reached 83.4% of minors eligible to receive it. Two and a half months later, the Health Minister, Manel Balcells, has released these figures.
Between October and the second week of December, the hospitals of the Institut Català de la Salut (ICS) treated a total of 258 cases of RSV bronchiolitis in children under six months, compared to 1,118 of the year previous on the same dates, which means 860 fewer babies, that is, one 77% reduction. Likewise, a total of 78 babies were hospitalized (compared to 502 the previous season, a reduction of 84.5%) and 24 have been admitted to the ICU (191 the previous season, one reduction of 87.4%).
What is VRS
VRS is a highly contagious virus that spreads with nasopharyngeal secretions from infected people or through drops of saliva It is, every year, one of the main causes of hospitalization of children under 5 years of age. Salut has distributed this year about 65,000 doses in CAPs with pediatrics and hospitals in Catalonia to deal with RSV. They will serve to cover all the demand that there is in babies under 6 months that are born until March 2024. The global budget is 14.1 million euros.
Immunization is carried out in health centers for babies born between April and September 2023 (families have received an informative SMS to request an appointment at the CAP) and in the Hospital centers to those who are born between the months of October 2023 and March 2024 before hospital discharge. Children are also immunized high risk before its second season.
It is estimated that VRS is responsible for a 80% of all bronchiolitis cases hospitable and 25% of pneumonias in children under one year old.
Symptoms of bronchiolitis
Clinically, RSV infection can have various manifestations, depending on the patient’s age and immune status. Generate from banal upper respiratory tract symptoms or inapparent type common cold, even episodes of bronchiolitis or pneumonias in infants that tend to be more serious during the first months of life and may be especially important in premature babies.
Salut estimates that between 11% and 19% of infants will suffer from bronchiolitis first year of life. This bronchiolitis causes hospitalization of approximately a 1% of cases. The mortality is less than 1% although in risk groups can reach 3%.
The Health Minister, Manel Balcellsthis Saturday encouraged families to vaccinate babies up to six months due to the good results of the proof carried out until now and has recalled that the Campaign It is open until March 2024. “It is worth it and families are saved great suffering,” he said, reports Efe.
Related news
Last year, RSV caused approximately 7,523 bronchiolitis in children under one year of age, with 1,058 hospitalizations (662 in conventional beds and 396 in ICU), with an approximate cost that exceeded 18 million euros.
Until 2023, there was no availability no preventive measures authorized for use in all infants, and it should be noted that treatment for RSV infection is primarily supportive, and in more severe cases treatment may be necessary. respiratory support with supplemental oxygen.