Vaccination began half a year ago. Viruses causes bronchiolitis in babies and children. Hospitals directors confirm a big difference.
A vaccination that started in October last year against the breathingwhich causes bronquiolites in babies and children, there was a Positive impact in the severity of infections and hospitalizations, especially in Intensive care.
Speaking to the Lusa Agency regarding the vaccination campaign, which ended on Monday, the pediatric service directors of the Dona Estefânia and Santa Maria hospitals in Lisbon confirm a “very marked” difference, with two thirds of cases (Estefânia) and intensive care hospitalizations from an average of 40 to five babies (Santa Maria).
The Respiratory Sincient Virus (VSR) is a cause very common of pediatric age infection – mainly bronquiolites – and is responsible for annual seasonal epidemics that represent one for health services.
Last year, the Directorate-General for Health defined an immunization strategy and made the vaccine for children born between August 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025, among other specific cases.
The director of the medical pediatric service of the Santa Maria Hospital, Francisco Abecassis, told Lusa that, with this immunization, difference was “abyssal” and that the disease, in intensive care, “practically disappeared.”
“In 2022/2023 we had 37 bronchiolitis in intensive care. On 23/24 we had 30. The average is between 30 and 40. At this time we had five,” said the expert, explaining that, of these five, only three were by VSR and all in unlisted or more grown children.
“It was a disease we stopped having in intensive care And surely, thanks to this strategy, ”he added.
The official stressed that there were children hospitalized for bronchiolitis in the pediatric pissing ward, but also there the numbers dropped.
He said, a study by the Pediatric Pulmonology team, which compared the period from October to December in the last four years, goes in the same direction. “It was between 60 and 100, this time, and this year were 48,” explained Francisco Abecassis, adding that “the big difference is that the median age of hospitalized children was about two and a half months and this year was nine months.”
And there is no doubt that These numbers are the effect of vaccination: “The small lactating with bronchiolitis, or even newborn, practically ceased to be. It shows that it was by the immunization strategy, and not for another reason, because there continued to be VSR, but in more grown children.”
Also at Hospital Dona Estefânia the vaccination eventually had positive reflexes. The average hospitalizations did not lower much, but, according to the director of the pediatric service, Luis Varandas, the profile of the hospitalized children changed.
“In 2023/24 we had about 70% of hospitalizations by VSR in children less than six months old and then we had a smaller track – from six to 11 months and over 12 months. Now we had about 45% under six months,” said the expert, explaining that of these, “65% should have been immunized and were not”.
At this level, both experts point to some flaws In the start of the immunization campaign, which was to have started on October 1 and only 15 and “did not reach the same speed everywhere and at the same time.”
As for the demand for emergency, it says that there was a “frank decrease”, but it cannot directly attribute to immunization, because the VSR research is not done in all children, only to the most serious cases.
However, the available laboratory data for children tested reveals a two -thirds reduction.
Questioned about whether it would make sense age Of immunization, Santa Maria’s guardian says that a study would be needed to investigate the cost/benefit, taking into account the high price of the monoclonal antibody that is administered.
The director of the Pediatrics of Estefânia agrees that it is necessary to evaluate the cost-benefit, but recalls that he has always defended the widest vaccination.
“It is likely to apply only from children with three months, (…) is more cost-effective, because the target audience can be more accurate and less money is spent. But the truth, as we have seen, is that there are a lot of people out of this immunization,” said Luis Varandas, who underlines the aspect of equity: “Why is someone born on August 1 have the right to be immunized and who was born on July 31?”
