A universal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme using Beyfortus (nirsevimab) showed a statistically significant reduction in RSV-related hospitalisations in the second RSV season. This benefit was shown for infants who had been immunised during their first season, according to a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
The NIRSE-GAL study, conducted in Galicia, Spain, is the first prospective real-world population study to evaluate the impact of a universal Beyfortus immunisation programme during two consecutive RSV seasons. The study findings compare the number of hospitalisations in immunised infants during their second RSV season versus the number of expected hospitalisation cases based on data from recent seasons.
RSV is a highly contagious virus that can lead to serious respiratory illness for infants. Two out of three infants are infected with RSV during their first year of life and almost all children are infected by their second birthday.
Globally, in 2019, there were approximately 33 million cases of RSV-associated acute lower respiratory infections, with estimated healthcare costs of around 5bn euros in 2017.
The findings are being presented at RSVVW ’26 (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines for the Word) conference in Rome, Italy.
The study also showed 55.3% fewer hospitalisations in the second RSV season among infants who received a dose of Beyfortus during infancy.
By preventing severe RSV infections during the first months of life, a critical period of lung development, it is thought the infants may be less prone to subsequent admissions from either RSV or other infections.
Federico Martinón-Torres, Head of Pediatrics at Santiago University Hospital in Spain, and principal investigator of the NIRSE-GAL study said: “This universal RSV immunization program with Beyfortus showed decreased RSV-related hospitalisations and outpatient illness burden during the first season, with persistent impact seen on RSV hospitalizations through the second season. These results offer compelling population-based data to inform infant immunization strategies and economic evaluation models.”