Anvisa releases bronchiolitis vaccine for mothers to protect babies

Anvisa released, this Monday (1), Pfizer’s Abrysvo vaccine against bronchiolitis. The disease is an inflammation caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which affects babies and young children and can progress to more serious conditions, requiring hospitalization.

Recommended for babies, from newborns up to 6 months, the vaccine is administered to the mother during the third trimester of pregnancy, passing to the fetus’s body via the placental route. The vaccine demonstrated an efficacy of 81.8% against the disease, functioning for up to three years in the child’s body. In addition to children, the elderly are also part of the risk group for bronchiolitis.

“Protecting babies and the elderly, the two groups most susceptible to RSV infections, could also be a way to alleviate the health system, since these diseases are associated with high hospitalization rates”, says Adriana Ribeiro, medical director from Pfizer Brasil, in a note.

Last year, the vaccine received approval from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, an American body analogous to Anvisa). Shortly after approval in the USA, Pfizer filed documentation to request the use of Abrysvo in Brazil.

According to Renato Kfouri, vice-president of immunization at the São Paulo Pediatrics Society, the vaccine joins another that offers antibodies ready for the baby.

“Reducing the burden of RSV disease means protecting these children from hospitalization, visits to emergency services, and the use of antibiotics. And more than that, the impact of RSV often occurs not only in the acute phase, but also in long term. Children infected early often develop wheezing, a recurrent wheezing”, says Kfouri.

In terms of availability, Pfizer comments that the vaccine will still be subjected to analysis by the Medicines Market Regulation Chamber (CMED) before the price is defined to reach the market.

Side effects

The new vaccine has mild side effects, such as pain at the application site, muscle pain and headache, which disappear within a few days.

Evaluating risks and benefits, the vaccine becomes an interesting solution for pregnant women and babies, as well as elderly people who want to protect themselves from serious infections caused by RSV.

RSV is highly contagious

RSV is associated with outbreaks in hospital environments, especially in neonatal units, with high morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that RSV is responsible for 66,000 to 199,000 deaths per year in children under 5 years of age worldwide.

Transmission occurs through direct contact with droplets of saliva or secretions from the respiratory tract of an infected person. The main symptoms are a runny nose, mild cough and, in some cases, fever.

Source: Pfizer; Brazil Agency

Trending on Canaltech: