Prevention of RSV disease in babies starts at HUS hospitals
Keywords:RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is the most common cause of respiratory infections leading to infant hospitalization. HUS offers an antibody developed against the RS virus called nirsevimab to infants and children who are at risk of severe RSV infection.
The aim of nirsevimab is to prevent the majority of severe illnesses and infant hospitalizations caused by RSV. Immunization with nirsevimab is voluntary and free of charge for families.
Nirsevimab is offered to all children born after August 1, 2024. HUS will offer nirsevimab to newborns in all its maternity hospitals from October 23, 2024.
Children under the age of one year at risk for severe disease will be offered nirsevimab at HUS New Children's Hospital, Jorvi Hospital, and Hyvinkää Hospital from November 4, 2024, until the end of November.
The City of Helsinki and the wellbeing services counties of Uusimaa are responsible for administering nirsevimab according to their guidelines to healthy children born between August 1 – October 22, 2024
Nirsevimab is effective in preventing RSV infections
A long-acting antibody called nirsevimab is used to prevent RSV infections. It is administered as a single intramuscular injection. Nirsevimab is safe to administer even to newborns, and it provides efficient protection against RSV for the entire winter epidemic.
The product is very safe. It has been in use in several countries during the winter 2023–2024, where it prevented 80–90% of hospitalizations caused by RSV.
www.hus.fi/en/rsv