The Community of Madrid begins this Monday, October 2, immunization against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to reduce the impact of bronchiolitis in babies under six months.
The Minister of Health, Fátima Matute, will visit the Niño Jesús University Children’s Hospital on the first day of the vaccination campaign for babies against RSV, which causes different clinical conditions, especially bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
The monoclonal antibody against RSV is administered in a single dose that will be dispensed during this fall-winter, coinciding with the greatest circulation of this virus.
This initiative will be carried out in the La Paz, Gregorio Marañón, Niño Jesús and 12 de Octubre public hospitals in the capital, as well as Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, thanks to the 50,000 doses acquired by the Madrid Executive.
RSV is the main cause of infections in the lower respiratory tract in children under one year of age, although it can also affect people over 65 years of age and certain people at risk.
This type of condition generates a significant number of consultations in Primary Care, especially in the fall and winter months.
In the Community of Madrid, during the last 2022-2023 season, more than 18,000 pediatric emergencies due to bronchiolitis and 3,800 hospital admissions of infants under twelve months of age were registered, with more than 300 stays in Intensive Care Units (ICU).
In addition, the Community of Madrid will begin the annual joint vaccination campaign against flu and covid-19 on October 16, which this year will last until January 31.
The priority of the regional Executive is the elderly, so it will be administered first to those who live in residences, those over 65 years of age, as well as health and social health personnel.
Once this population group is covered, it will be expanded to the rest of the segments with recommendations, such as people between 60 and 64 years old or those under 60 years old with underlying pathologies, as well as pregnant women, the regional government detailed in a statement.
To do this, the Community of Madrid has acquired 1.6 million doses, 100,000 more than in 2022, with an investment of 19 million euros.
They are divided into 850,000 adjuvanted quadrivalent influenza vaccines, intended for those aged 65 or over, and another 750,000 quadrivalent flu vaccines for the rest of the people targeted by this campaign.
Regarding protection against coronavirus, doses adapted to the new Ómicron variants (XBB1.5) will be administered, following national and international recommendations.
As on previous occasions, the doses are assigned by the Ministry of Health to all the autonomous communities and, from the Madrid General Directorate of Public Health, they will be distributed to the different immunization points.
The process will be carried out again in nursing homes, Primary Care centers and the Vaccination Center of the Community of Madrid.
Health personnel will do so at their workplaces, and in the case of mutual benefit members and social health personnel at the point set up at the Enfermera Isabel Zendal public Hospital.
This season, children between six months and four years of age will be included for the first time in the campaign against seasonal flu. For this, there are 30,000 intranasal children’s antiflu doses.
