Vaccination during pregnancy protects babies in their first months of life. EFE
In December 2023, Argentina marked a turning point in the prevention of respiratory diseases by becoming one of the first countries in the world to incorporate the bivalent prefusional F vaccine (RSVpreF) to the National Vaccination Calendar. This measure, aimed at pregnant women, seeks to protect babies in their first and vulnerable months of life, an achievement that already shows promising results.
The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitisa serious respiratory infection that mainly affects children under one year of age. To reduce this risk, a national vaccination strategy has been implemented since March 2024, targeting pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks. This immunization allows transferring protective antibodies to the baby before birth.
"After more than 50 years of work, we now have a vaccine that has been shown to be effective in clinical studies. The first results of effectiveness in real life confirm its capacity to prevent hospitalizations due to bronchiolitis in infants under six months of age," explains Dr. Gonzalo Pérez Marc, director of the study that supports this strategy.
Neutralizing antibodies against RSV can be received through the placenta (Photo: Adobe Stock).
A multicenter study evaluated the effectiveness of the vaccine during the RSV season in 2024. This work analyzed data from 505 infants under six months of age hospitalized for acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in 12 hospitals in six Argentine provinces.
The most relevant findings of the study highlight the effectiveness in preventing hospitalizations for severe cases of ARIB in infants up to 6 months of age: 73.9%.
In addition, three RSV-associated deaths were recorded, all in infants whose mothers had not received the vaccine during pregnancy, reinforcing the importance of this preventive intervention.
A model for the region
The decision to include this vaccine in the national schedule not only has a positive impact on the health of Argentine babies, but also positions the country as a reference in public health policies in the region. The generation of local evidence, such as that provided by the study, reinforces confidence in this strategy and encourages other countries to consider its implementation.
In this context, the introduction of this vaccine represents a pioneering advance in the reduction of hospitalizations and severe respiratory infections during the first months of life.
