Each year, cases of bronchiolitis increase during the autumn season in France. Public authorities are making parents aware of preventive treatments through vaccination and barrier gestures to limit the spread of the virus.
Every winter, nearly 30% of babies are affected by bronchiolitis. Most of the time benign, this very contagious respiratory infection can take more serious forms which require hospitalization or even resuscitation, due to respiratory distress in the child.
At the start of winter, the health authorities are therefore communicating on a new national preventive strategy put in place for this 2024/2025 season by highlighting two preventive treatments by vaccination, both validated by the High Authority of Health (HAS).
One targeting “infants under one year of age, including newborns” through a single injection to protect them during their first season at risk of bronchiolitis. The second with a treatment for pregnant women, a new vaccine (Abrysvo) administered to the future mother during the 8th month of pregnancy, this vaccine transmits to the baby “maternal antibodies, thus providing protection against bronchiolitis during the first six months of life“, underlines the ARS Grand Est.
Maintain barrier gestures to limit the spread of the virus
In addition to preventive treatments, it is essential to adopt barrier gestures to effectively slow down the circulation of the virus. The bronchiolitis virus is transmitted through saliva, coughing, sneezing, and can survive on hands and shared objects.
The ARS Grand Est reminds you of some simple actions to follow to avoid contamination, such as washing your hands before taking care of your baby, cleaning your baby’s nose regularly, ventilating or even limiting contact with sick people…
In 2022-2023, during an epidemic season “particularly intense“more than 70,000 children under 2 years old had to be treated in emergency rooms (including 26,000 hospitalizations).
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