New Delhi, April 25 Young children with chronic conditions are more likely to be hospitalised for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) than healthy children, according to a new study on Friday.
The study led by researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada showed that toddlers with chronic conditions are hospitalised for RSV at twice the rate of healthy toddlers.
The risk was highest for children born very prematurely under 28 weeks of gestation, or with conditions affecting multiple organs, the lungs, heart, or digestive system.
Researchers recommend that children with those specific conditions receive immunisation against RSV in their first season to increase protection, even if their mother was vaccinated.
Current guidelines suggest pregnant women should receive vaccination before birth to pass on antibodies.
“Our research finds that many children with chronic conditions require seasonal RSV immunisation beyond the period of protection that can be achieved with maternal vaccination. It expands current definitions from traditionally defined high-risk groups to other children with chronic conditions that could equally benefit from RSV immunisation, up to two years of age,” said Marina Vineta Paramo, a graduate student at the Faculty of Medicine.
“Our study underscores the importance of children with chronic conditions getting immunised against RSV in their second season, and in their first season even if their mother was vaccinated,” Paramo added.
The study analysed data from 431,937 infants born in British Columbia, Canada, between 2013 and 2023, including 25,452 infants with chronic health conditions.
About 4,567 children experienced 4,593 hospitalisations over their first and second seasons.
Children with chronic medical conditions had significantly longer hospital and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stays and required more mechanical ventilation.
In the second RSV season, children with chronic medical conditions had higher RSV hospitalisation rates than those in the first season, especially when their conditions affected the respiratory, cardiovascular, or gastrointestinal systems, involved congenital anomalies, or affected multiple body systems, including Down syndrome.
The research will be presented at the Paediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2025 meeting, held April 24-28 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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