Beyfortus can be administered to children born from April 1, therefore aged 6 months when RSV begins to circulate, and to children born between October and March. It has been reimbursed since last October.
For children whose birth is planned between September and March, there is another protection against RSV: a vaccine administered to the mother between the 28th and 36th week of pregnancy. “The mother-to-be produces antibodies which are transmitted to the baby. Antibody transfer is best around the 30th week of pregnancy“, specifies Professor David Tuerlinckx, head of the pediatrics department at Namur University Hospital, Dinant site.
The antibodies will protect the child for six months. “It is very important not to administer the vaccine too early: if we vaccinate in January a mother who is due to give birth in April, the baby will no longer be protected by the antibodies in October when RSV begins to circulate“.
It’s up to parents to choose one or the other
From January 1, 2025, the maternal vaccine will be reimbursed but only for women who are due to give birth during the RSV season.
From now on, parents will have the choice: protect their baby by administering a monoclonal antibody or vaccinate the mother?
Health insurance only reimburses one treatment except for premature children (born before 30 weeks) and those born within two weeks following the injection of the maternal vaccine.
“The vaccine protects the child at least two weeks after being administered to the mother, explains the pediatrician. If the mother gives birth a week after receiving it, the effectiveness of the vaccine will not be optimal. The child will then be able to receive the Beyfortus against reimbursement“.
First positive effect of Beyfortus
While it is still too early to precisely quantify the impact of the reimbursement of Beyfortus – granted since last October to protect toddlers aged 6 months and newborns during the virus season – Professor Tuerlinckx emphasizes that many parents requested that their newborn receive the monoclonal antibody during his stay in the maternity ward.
“For the moment, we are knocking on wood, both on the Dinant site and on the Namur site, we have observed until now rare cases of bronchiolitis in children under one year old. Last year, in November, we had already treated many infants suffering from bronchiolitis. We observe a clear difference in hospitalizations: children who present with respiratory problems or who must be hospitalized are over one year old. In the latter, the complications are less severe. By protecting infants, it is hoped to also prevent late complications of RSV such as childhood asthma..”
If cases of RSV are increasing among children under 4 years old, according to the latest epidemiological bulletin from Sciensano, we are currently far from reaching the epidemic threshold.
“The virus is circulating, it’s normal at this time of year, but we are far from the situation we experienced at the end of October and beginning of November 2023 where pediatric services were close to saturation.
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