Abrysvo, a new vaccine for pregnant women, what is the difference with Beyfortus?

The High Authority for Health published a recommendation on Thursday concerning the integration of the new Abrysvo vaccine into the strategy for preventing RSV infections in infants, responsible in particular for bronchiolitis. This product is in addition to the Beyfortus treatment, administered to babies since last fall.

It is a new weapon to fight against bronchiolitis in babies. The High Authority for Health (HAS) recommended Thursday to add the Abrysvo vaccine to the strategy for preventing infections by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants, responsible for three quarters of cases of bronchiolitis.

Parents will have two options from September

With Abrysvo, we vaccinate the pregnant woman, with Beyfortus, we give an injection to the child: this is how we could summarize the main difference between these two possibilities.

The Abrysvo vaccine, manufactured by the Pfizer laboratory, is offered to pregnant women during the eighth month of pregnancy. Once vaccinated, the mother will produce antibodies which she will transmit to her child through the placenta. She will protect him from his birth and during the first months of his life. Beyfortus, from Sanofi, available since last fall, is a preventive treatment with a monoclonal antibody, administered directly to infants at birth via an injection.

“Vaccination can absolutely help protect their newborn without giving them an injection”

By vaccinating the mother, the High Authority of Health hopes to convince parents to protect their children. “We saw that there were 20% of parents who would have some hesitation with Beyfortus because they are trying to avoid an injection in the newborn. Vaccination can absolutely help protect their newborn without give them an injection”, explains Anne-Claude Crémieux, member of the college of the High Authority of Health, president of the technical commission on vaccinations (CTV) of the High Authority of Health.

“The vaccine is administered to the mother [donc] “it allows parents a strategy that will not require an injection in their newborn at birth”, she adds. Some specific cases justify favoring Beyfortus, specifies Anne-Claude Crémieux, this is for example the case if the mother is immunocompromised, due to lack of data on the effectiveness of Abrysvo in this scenario.

Nearly 30% of infants under the age of two affected by bronchiolitis each year

Each year, nearly 30% of infants under the age of two are affected by bronchiolitis in France. From September, parents will therefore have these two possibilities to immunize their infants. To enable parents to make an informed decision about the choice that best suits them, HAS is preparing an information document which will be made available to them when the campaign starts in September.