Since the beginning of the month, an antibody has been offered at a lower cost only to infants under one year old.
1. “It is not a vaccine, but an injection of antibodies that protect your baby for a full season of RSV,” explains Laurane De Mot of the Institute of Public Health, Sciensano.
2. Unlike the vaccine, there is no immune reaction and therefore no side effects.
3. A reimbursement campaign will be set up from October 7 to 31 for, on the one hand, babies born from April 1, 2024, and on the other hand, infants who will be born between October 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025. You will only have to pay 12 euros (or 8 euros at a preferential rate).
4 Parents whose babies are eligible are invited to discuss this with their pediatrician/general practitioner to make an appointment during the month of October. ONE can also administer the antibody to babies younger than six months.
One in five children will need outpatient care by the age of two following RSV contamination. Thus, each year, Sciensano identifies 7,000 cases of RSV infection in Belgium.
Note that another RSV prevention tool exists. Expectant mothers can therefore choose to be vaccinated during their pregnancy to immunize their offspring, as it is recommended to do against whooping cough. For the serum to be effective, it is recommended to administer it between the 28th and 36th week of gestation. The baby is then protected from birth until six months. The vaccine, which costs around 170 euros, is however not reimbursed.
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