JAMA Pediatr

Nirsevimab effective in reducing RSV burden in young children

December 11, 2024

Study design: This prospective, population-based surveillance study assessed the burden of RSV-associated acute respiratory illness (ARI) in 28,689 children under 5 during the 2023-2024 RSV season. The study compared these findings with data from three pre-pandemic seasons (2017-2020) and evaluated the effectiveness of nirsevimab in preventing RSV-associated ARI through systematic molecular testing and whole-genome sequencing of RSV-positive samples.

Results: RSV hospitalization rates during the 2023-2024 season were similar to pre-pandemic levels. Despite low uptake, nirsevimab was effective in reducing RSV-associated hospitalizations among infants with an effectiveness of 89% against medically attended RSV-associated ARI and 93% against RSV-associated hospitalization.

Impact on clinical practice: Nirsevimab can effectively reduce RSV-related hospitalizations in young children. Increasing coverage of RSV prevention products could substantially impact public health by lowering disease burden in this vulnerable population.

Source:

Moline HL, et al. (2024, December 9). JAMA Pediatr. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease Burden and Nirsevimab Effectiveness in Young Children From 2023-2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39652359/