A symposium held in HCM City on April 27  announces a pioneering preventive method to help prevent lower respiratory tract infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus in high-risk children. — Photo Courtesy of the organisers

HCM CITY — A  scientific forum held in HCM City on April 27 announced a pioneering preventive method to help prevent lower respiratory tract infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus in high-risk children, including premature infants, children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and those with congenital heart disease.

The "27 Years of RSV Prevention – The Role of Monoclonal Antibodies in Protecting High-Risk Children from RSV" symposium organised by the Việt Nam Pediatric Association and AstraZeneca attracted widespread participation by the professional community, with 250 delegates attending in person and 200 others participating online, including local and foreign paediatric experts. 

The conference discussed the latest findings on lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in high-risk children.

Experts also exchanged clinical experiences in neonatology and paediatrics.

RSV is a common pathogen causing hospitalisation of infants under one month of age due to the immaturity of their immune system, small airways that are easily obstructed and inflammation and edema.

Not only during the neonatal period but also throughout the first months after birth, children infected with RSV are at higher risk of developing severe illness.

Scientific studies have shown that lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV are becoming an increasingly serious threat to children's health worldwide, including in Việt Nam.

Globally, RSV accounts for more than three million hospitalisations and nearly 60,000 deaths each year in children under five years of age.

Notably, RSV is responsible for over 80 per cent of acute lower respiratory tract infections in infants under one year old.

Premature infants, in particular, face a significantly higher risk of acute LRTIs due to RSV compared to full-term infants. The younger the gestational age at birth, the greater the risk of hospitalisation for RSV infection, resulting in increased treatment costs associated with hospital stays.

Among children under 24 months of age, those with congenital heart disease involving haemodynamic disorders have a 2.7–5 times higher risk of hospitalisation due to RSV infection. Those with bronchopulmonary dysplasia face a 12.8–20 times greater risk.

These alarming figures not only highlight the serious threat to children's health but also place considerable pressure on healthcare systems.

At the conference, experts focused on discussing innovative treatment solutions to reduce mortality in children, notably the breakthrough immunoprophylaxis method using monoclonal antibodies.

This approach prevents the fusion process and inhibits RSV replication, thereby reducing viral multiplication and limiting the spread of RSV in paediatric patients.

With 27 years of global clinical experience and application in more than 100 countries, this solution is now available in Việt Nam.

Its introduction marks a hopeful new chapter in the effort to reduce disease burden and dangerous complications caused by RSV in children.

Dr Ngô Ngọc Quang Minh, deputy director of HCM City Children's Hospital 1, said RSV prevention using recombinant monoclonal antibodies represents a major breakthrough in paediatric medicine.

Clinically proven worldwide for nearly 30 years, this solution not only provides effective protection for high-risk children but also paves the way for a proactive approach to preventing serious respiratory diseases in young children.

“We believe that the widespread application of this method will significantly change the clinical landscape of RSV disease in Việt Nam, easing the burden on both families and the healthcare system.”

AstraZeneca has partnered with leading medical institutions to organise a series of scientific conferences aimed at updating and disseminating advanced immunoprophylaxis solutions for children at high risk of RSV infection. — VNS