Cold season
More normal RSV wave expected again
Last fall and winter there was a severe RSV wave in many countries. photo
© Marijan Murat/dpa
For a long time, very few people had probably heard of the RS virus (RSV). But last fall and winter, babies and small children fell ill in droves. What are the benefits of new vaccinations?
After an enormous RSV wave in babies and small children last autumn and winter, experts are now expecting the number of cases to return to normal. The number of cases is likely to return to “normal levels” in the upcoming cool season, said Folke Brinkmann, head of the Pediatric Pulmonology Section at the Clinic for Pediatric and adolescent medicine at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, in a video link. Catch-up infections in one- to two-year-olds who did not come into contact with RSV during the corona pandemic are expected to no longer be as pronounced. RSV is the abbreviation for respiratory syncytial virus, a respiratory pathogen.
Two RSV vaccines approved for the first time
In the past few months, two RSV vaccines have been approved in the EU for the first time – but not for children. They are intended for people aged 60 and over, and one of the two also for pregnant women, with the aim of passing on immune protection to the infant. However, there is currently no recommendation from the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) regarding their use in Germany. This is no longer to be expected this fall, said Stiko member Klaus Überla. The expert committee is currently working on various aspects necessary for this, such as modeling the possible influence of vaccines on the spread of RSV in the population. It’s also about weighing up the risks and benefits. According to Überla, the reimbursement of the costs for the vaccination initially depends on the health insurance company.
Brinkmann emphasized that a very clear safety signal is initially necessary, especially with regard to the RSV vaccination of pregnant women. According to the experts, the reason for the reluctance so far are open questions about slightly more premature births in one of the studies on the very similar vaccines. Überla spoke of statistically insignificant differences, but they could be random observations. But this certain uncertainty makes a general vaccination recommendation for all pregnant women initially difficult.
Vaccination for older people with many previous illnesses
With regard to older patients, Überla, director of the Virological Institute at Erlangen University Hospital, said that use in seniors on an individual basis is conceivable, especially if there are many previous illnesses and therefore a high risk.
For RSV, risk groups include premature babies and newborns, infants, children with pre-existing lung disease and heart defects, as well as adults over 65 and people with a compromised immune system. The typical season is November to April. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the spread among the population was underestimated for a long time.
Violent RSV wave last year
Last fall and winter there was a severe RSV wave in many countries. Many children were affected who had previously had no contact with the pathogen because of the corona pandemic and the measures taken against it. Clinics and pediatrician practices were temporarily overloaded. There had already been an unusually strong RSV wave in late summer 2021.