Overview
- ECDC issued rapid scientific advice to policymakers to reduce infant RSV disease through immunization as infections are being detected in several European countries, and it will continue assessing effectiveness and strengthening surveillance.
- Surveillance from winter 2024/25 found that half of RSV positives were in children aged 0–4, with 12% of those children admitted to intensive care units and one death reported.
- Europe records about 250,000 RSV hospitalizations each year in children under five, with roughly one in three occurring during the first months of life.
- Prevention options include long‑acting monoclonal antibodies for newborns and maternal vaccination during pregnancy, with guidance to prioritize premature infants and those with chronic lung conditions where universal programs are not feasible.
- Twenty‑three EU/EEA countries recommend monoclonal antibodies and 19 fund programs, while Poland, Romania and Slovenia rely on maternal vaccination only and Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece and Luxembourg offer it as an alternative.