Belgian Health Officials Warn Parents as Virus Season Begins
Sciensano urges parents to protect their babies from the highly contagious respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as the official season starts October 1, recommending the preventive antibody nirsevimab
Belgium’s public health institute Sciensano has issued a warning to all parents as the season for the highly contagious and potentially severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) begins on October 1. The institute emphasizes that RSV can cause serious illness in infants and lead to thousands of hospitalizations each year. To help protect babies, Sciensano recommends the antibody nirsevimab—marketed as Beyfortus—which can be used as a preventive measure against RSV.
Nirsevimab will now be reimbursed through health insurance for babies born between February 19 and October 1. For infants born after October 1, the antibody can be administered at birth. This new policy follows data from last winter showing that extending nirsevimab reimbursement helped prevent some 4,000 hospitalizations. Experts estimate that if the protective treatment is provided to even more babies this year, an additional 1,500 hospital admissions could be prevented.
In addition, doctors are reminding expectant mothers that receiving the RSV vaccine during pregnancy is also an effective way to protect newborns. The combination of maternal vaccination and newborn antibody treatment offers greater assurance against RSV’s serious risks, especially for the youngest and most vulnerable babies.
