Peer-reviewed article
Position statement of the Mexican Academy of Pediatrics regarding strategies to prevent respiratory syncytial virus infection in MexicoÓ?s pediatric population
Rosa María Wong‐Chew, María del C. Espinosa-Sotero, Ana Elena Limón-Rojas, María G. Miranda-Novales, Martha Josefina Avilés-Robles et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This is a position statement from the Mexican Academy of Pediatrics on preventing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in children in Mexico. It reviews the evidence on how common and serious RSV is, and on two prevention options: vaccinating pregnant women and giving infants long-acting monoclonal antibodies. Based on disease burden, seasonal patterns, product availability and the Mexican health care system, the Academy proposes a complementary and progressive strategy. The abstract is cut off before the details of that strategy are given.
Key points
- RSV is one of the leading causes of acute lower respiratory tract infection, bronchiolitis, pneumonia and hospitalization in infants and young children.
- Risk of severe disease is highest in infants younger than six months, preterm infants, and children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital heart disease, immunocompromising conditions or other comorbidities.
- In Mexico, RSV circulates mainly from September to March and carries a substantial clinical burden.
- Maternal vaccination with a bivalent prefusion F protein vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of gestation passes antibodies across the placenta and protects infants in their first months.
- Monoclonal antibodies, particularly nirsevimab, reduced lower respiratory tract infection, hospitalization, intensive care admission and severe RSV disease, with a favorable safety profile.
Limitations
Only the abstract is available, and it is truncated before the proposed strategy is described. No numerical results, review methods or Mexico-specific effectiveness data are given.
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the leading causes of acute lower respiratory tract infection, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and hospitalization among infants and young children, with the highest risk of severe disease observed in infants younger than six months, preterm infants, and children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital heart disease, immunocompromising conditions, and other underlying comorbidities.In Mexico, available evidence demonstrates a substantial clinical burden and a predominant seasonal circulation from September to March.In recent years, the development of novel preventive strategies has transformed the approach to RSV prevention, particularly through maternal immunization with a bivalent prefusion F protein vaccine and passive immunoprophylaxis with long-acting monoclonal antibodies.This position statement from the Mexican Academy of Pediatrics reviews the epidemiological, clinical, and real-world effectiveness evidence regarding currently available strategies for the prevention of RSV infection in the pediatric population.Maternal vaccination between 32 and 36 weeks of gestation promotes transplacental antibody transfer and provides protection to infants during the first months of life.Monoclonal antibodies, particularly nirsevimab, have demonstrated significant reductions in lower respiratory tract infection, hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and severe RSV-associated disease, with a favorable safety profile.Based on disease burden, national seasonality, availability of preventive products, and the characteristics of the Mexican health care system, the Mexican Academy of Pediatrics proposes a complementary and progressive strategy