"The message is simple: every baby needs one shot for RSV prevention in their first RSV season."
In this expert interview, Susanna Esposito, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Parma, cuts through the debate on RSV prevention strategies with a clear bottom line: every infant needs protection, the question is how to get there.
Susanna draws on data from Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, and Chile to explain what drives effective coverage. Monoclonal antibodies at around 50% coverage can reduce hospitalizations by 60% — but to achieve the results seen in Galicia or Chile (over 80% reduction), coverage needs to reach at least 80%. Maternal immunization alone struggles to consistently reach this threshold, making a combined strategy — maternal vaccination alongside monoclonal antibodies — the most resilient approach in many settings.
She outlines four key messages for clinicians communicating with parents: understanding RSV risks, understanding monoclonal antibody effectiveness, safety, and trust in the pediatrician. Above all, she urges healthcare professionals to help dispel the dangerous myth that RSV is "just a cold"; the majority of babies hospitalized with severe RSV are otherwise healthy, and we cannot predict in advance who they will be.
Key takeaway: Any infant protection strategy works. The goal is universal coverage, achieved through whichever combination of tools fits your healthcare system.
