Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nirsevimab in Reducing Pediatric RSV Hospitalizations in Spain

• Published in: Vaccines (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 10; p. 1160
• Main Authors: Jimeno Ruiz, Sara, Peláez, Adrián, Labourt, Agustín, Acuña, Florencia Mercedes, Linares, Lucía, Llana Martín, Isabel, Calle Gómez, Ángeles, Martínez, Silvina Natalini
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 11-10-2024
• Subjects: Age; Age groups; Chronology; Clinical trials; Effectiveness; healthcare burden reduction; Hospitalization; Infants; Infections; Nirsevimab; Patients; pediatric respiratory care; Pediatrics; Performance evaluation; Polymerase chain reaction; Respiratory syncytial virus; respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); Respiratory tract; Respiratory tract infection; RSV-related lower respiratory tract infection; Seasons; Sociodemographics; Variables; Spain; respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); Nirsevimab; pediatric respiratory care; RSV-related lower respiratory tract infection; healthcare burden reduction
• DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12101160
• EISSN: 2076-393X

: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of hospitalization in infants. Nirsevimab has demonstrated to be a promising tool for preventing severe RSV disease. Although clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of Nirsevimab in preventing severe RSV disease, evidence regarding its performance in real-world clinical settings is still limited due to its recent introduction. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by evaluating the impact of Nirsevimab in a cohort of infants and determining its effectiveness in reducing the burden of RSV disease.
: A retrospective study of RSV hospitalizations was conducted in children under six months of age, between 1 October and 31 March, across four seasons: pre-COVID (2018-2019), COVID (2019-2020), post-COVID pre-Nirsevimab (2022-2023), and Nirsevimab season (2023-2024).
: Nirsevimab demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing RSV-related hospitalizations in infants under six months of age. During the 2023/2024 season, following the introduction of Nirsevimab, there was a substantial reduction in RSV-related lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) hospitalizations. Among infants under 3 months of age, hospitalizations decreased by 79.3% (IRR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.12-0.34). In infants aged 3 to 6 months, there was a 66.9% reduction (IRR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.15-0.64). Additionally, Nirsevimab decreased the severity of RSV cases with LRTI who required the support of equipment for sanitary use, further reducing overall healthcare burden.
: These results underscore Nirsevimab's vital role in preventing severe RSV infections and hospitalizations, especially among the most vulnerable infants, positioning it as a critical advancement in pediatric respiratory care.