Recommendations on Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Immunization Strategies for Infants and Young Children in Countries with Year-Round RSV Activity.

Background/

Objectives

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infection in young children, especially during infancy, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality.

Methods

Acknowledging the real-world evidence on RSV immunization, the College of Pediatrics, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, has appointed an expert panel to develop a position paper on recommendations for infant and/or maternal vaccination against childhood RSV, specifically in the Malaysian context with year-round RSV activity.

Results

Recognizing the potential constraints and limitations in the implementation process, the expert panel recommends targeted immunization with long-acting RSV monoclonal antibody (mAb) for high-risk infants as a pragmatic first step, with subsequent scale-up to universal immunization of infants when resources permit.

Conclusions

Immunization is the most effective strategy to prevent RSV-related lower respiratory tract infection in childhood. Year-round maternal vaccination between 28 and 36 weeks' gestation, combined with immunization at six months for all infants, may potentially circumvent the unclear seasonality.