2023-12-19 08:00:00
The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a respiratory pathogen that mainly affects the youngest children and that in our country causes between 15,000 and 7,000 pediatric emergency visits, between 7,000 and 14,000 hospitalizations, and between 70 and 250 deaths each year, according to the data of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics.
The maternal vaccine Abrysvo, developed by Pfizer, was recently added to the tools we have to prevent it, which has the peculiarity that it is administered to mothers during pregnancy to provide protection to the newborn from the first moment.
What is it, who is it suitable for and when is it worn?
As the experts cited by the health news portal recall Medical News Today, it is recommended that pregnant women be vaccinated between 32 and 36 weeks of gestation in order to prevent RSV in newborn children. The idea is to protect newborn children in the window of time in which they are most vulnerable, which is between birth and six months, especially those born during RSV season.
It must be taken into account that, during the first weeks of life, newborns are not capable of generating a response to vaccines, which is why you have to wait a certain time before starting to vaccinate them. However, it is during this time that they are most vulnerable to all kinds of infections, including RSV.
Instead, the maternal RSV vaccine aims to ensure that mothers, through the placenta, transmit the antibodies to combat the infection to their newborns. Because this transmission takes around two weeks to be effective, women who are vaccinated at least fifteen days before giving birth should protect their children effectively.
What are the potential risks?
The approval of the vaccine has been based on the results of phase 3 clinical trials carried out on humans, in which the serum did not show any type of safety problem during pregnancy or during childhood in children.
In fact, in principle the only contraindication that exists is for people who suffer from allergies to any of the components of the vaccine, in which there is a risk of a reaction. It should also be noted that it is a serum made without preservatives (which means that there are fewer components likely to cause allergic reactions).
Another interesting point is that it is a recombinant antigen vaccine: this means that, unlike what happens with other vaccines for other pathologies, it does not contain a live attenuated virus.
The only side effects reported are moderate to mild and affect mothers and not babies. These include pain at the injection site, muscle pain, arm pain, headache, and nausea.
In conclusion, this type of vaccine represents a safe option to protect newborns against this virus, so present in the winter season, with better availability than other drugs such as nirsevimab (a monoclonal antibody). The evidence we have has shown that it is an effective tool with low risk for both mothers and babies.
References
Corrie Pelc. What to know about the RSV vaccine approved for pregnant people. Medical News Today (2023). Consultado online en el 18 de diciembre de 2023.
AEPED. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Consulted online on December 18, 2023.
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