Understanding RSV beyond the Hospital Walls.
While RSV is well-known for overwhelming hospitals during peak seasons, its real and often underreported toll begins in primary care and private practices. The Excellence in Pediatrics Institute, with support from Sanofi, conducted an in-depth assessment to highlight the unseen burden, challenges, and opportunities to improve RSV diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
RSV Prevention Starts Here: The Pressure on Pediatric Frontlines
Primary care physicians and private pediatricians are often the first to encounter RSV cases. This survey uncovered a rising trend in both the volume and severity of RSV cases in infants and young children. From prolonged symptoms and hospitalizations to disrupted daycare and family life, the impact extends beyond the clinic, putting pressure on already strained practices and communities.
Higher Case Volume & Severity
Primary care professionals are reporting more RSV cases and increasingly severe presentations among infants and young children.
Longer Recovery Periods
Many children experience symptoms that persist beyond the acute phase, extending the burden on families and healthcare providers.
Hospitalisation & Follow-Up Needs
Severe RSV cases often require hospital care and ongoing monitoring, increasing pressure on already stretched healthcare systems.
Family & Economic Impact
RSV affects more than health outcomes, disrupting childcare, work responsibilities, and everyday family life.
Campaign Resources
Stay informed with the latest updates from the Excellence in Pediatrics Institute.
What the Data Tells us
The RSV Impact Assessment Survey reveals the scale and complexity of RSV’s burden across frontline care settings.
2026 Report
Infants at Highest Risk
Infants and children aged 6–12 months suffer disproportionately from RSV, with higher hospitalization rates and prolonged recovery.
Diagnosis Still Lags Behind
Underuse of lab testing leaves many RSV cases unconfirmed, complicating both care and public health tracking.
Prevention - Action
While awareness of prevention is widespread among pediatricians, recommendations for vaccination remain inconsistent.
Call for Better Education
Most physicians expressed a strong need for updated clinical guidelines and hands-on training sessions.
Gaps in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
The report identifies three critical areas that require immediate attention:
Diagnostic Access
Rapid, affordable RSV testing must become standard practice—not a rare option.
Treatment Standardization
Disparities in referral and monitoring highlight the need for unified care protocols.
Prevention Strategy
Without clear implementation guidance, uptake of preventive RSV measures remains fragmented.
Latest Announcements & Reports
Stay informed with the latest reports, strategic updates, and prevention-focused insights from the LifeCourse Prevention Initiative and its global partners.
Why Lifecourse and Adult Immunization are Essential for an Aging Society (Diane Thomson)
Diane Thomson makes the case for embedding vaccination within non-communicable disease management, arguing that immunization is an underutilized tool for protecting aging populations, reducing health system strain, and delivering significant economic returns.
Health Technology Assessment for Vaccines: Why It Matters and What Europe Must Get Right (George Valiotis)
George Valiotis explains what Health Technology Assessment means for vaccines in Europe, and why getting it right matters for ensuring that new vaccines reach patients equitably and efficiently across EU member states.
Addressing Health Inequalities in RSV: Lessons from Barnardo's Public Health Campaign (Rukshana Kapasi)
Rukshana Kapasi presents Barnardo's RSV public health campaign, showing how a culturally competent, community-led approach can reach underserved families and reduce health inequalities in pediatric respiratory care.
Mistrust and Misperceptions: Vaccine Trust and Confidence in the Context of Inequality (Pauline Paterson)
Pauline Paterson examines the drivers of vaccine hesitancy and declining confidence globally, presenting evidence on the role of trust, misinformation, and institutional credibility in shaping vaccination decisions.
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Addressing Structural Barriers to Childhood Vaccination in Underserved Communities: Insights from Co-Designed Interventions (Monica Lakhanpaul)
Monica Lakhanpaul examines the structural and behavioral barriers to vaccination in underserved communities, arguing that health systems must be redesigned around people's lived realities rather than expecting communities to fit into existing structures.
Moral Economies of Trust: Navigating Vaccination in Marginalized and Religious Communities (Ben Kasstan-Dabush)
Ben Kasstan-Dabush examines how trust and mistrust shape vaccination decisions in marginalized religious communities, challenging assumptions about religion as a barrier and presenting practical approaches to sharing responsibility for community health.
