How Maternal Vaccination Could Shield Indian Newborns From RSV Threat? | Health News
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, may not be well-known by name, but it’s a familiar and sometimes risky virus that infects the lungs and breathing tubes. In India, RSV is increasingly identified as a top cause of respiratory disease among young children, particularly babies. In research from some of India’s largest hospitals, RSV causes almost 30 to 50% of cases of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under two years old.
While the majority of older children and adults recover from RSV as a mild cold, infants, particularly those less than six months of age, are much more susceptible. Premature infants, those with congenital conditions, and children from socioeconomically disadvantaged families are at even greater risk of severe illness and hospitalization. National estimates indicate 3 to 5 hospitalizations per 100 infants less than one year of age annually for RSV infections.
Dr Shreya Dubey – Consultant – Neonatology & Paediatrics, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram shares how maternal vaccination could shield Indian newborns from RSV threat.
But science is presenting a hopeful way forward — initiating protection prior to birth via maternal vaccination. The World Health Organization has embraced the method, stating pregnant women should be vaccinated against RSV in the third trimester. The concept is simple and compelling: the vaccine triggers the mother’s immune system to develop antibodies, which are transferred to the baby via the placenta, providing protection during the most vulnerable first few months of life.
In India, the maternal RSV vaccine is yet to be included in the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) but is very much under active consideration. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics and other advisory groups are studying clinical information related to safety, efficacy, and appropriateness in the Indian context. Although a nationwide launch will take time, the experts opine that it can be made available in private hospitals for high-risk pregnancies much sooner.
Another preventive measure is monoclonal antibodies — artificially created proteins that can be given to infants to assist their bodies in combating RSV. These have performed wonderfully well in clinical trials, providing protection with a single dose. But there is a fly in the ointment: affordability. Without substantial subsidies or insurance payments, these drugs could remain unaffordable for the typical Indian family. The promise resides in local manufacture, tiered pricing structures, and addition to public health insurance coverages.
India is also becoming an important player in the global RSV prevention arena. Their strength in pediatric and maternal immunization puts them in good stead to commercialize affordable solutions. Partnerships with international biotech companies could also be used for scaling up local production of monoclonal antibodies, lessening reliance on expensive imports.
In the future, researchers project a 2 to 4-year time frame for widespread access to these preventive treatments in India. Mother-to-child transmission vaccines could be rolled out earlier in the private sector followed by public sector launch once regulatory, pricing, and distribution challenges are overcome. Pilot implementations for monoclonal antibodies could also be initiated in the near future, targeting infants at the greatest risk.
As India reinforces its vaccination policy and public health system, prevention of RSV might soon be an achievable reality, safeguarding its most vulnerable population—newborns—from a virus whose damaging presence has too long been ignored.
