A workshop on RSV disease in children under one year old held in HCM City on August 22. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Proactively preventing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection can protect children during their first year of life and reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalisation, experts said at a workshop in HCM City.

The event was organised on August 22 by the National Centre for Health Education and Communication with support from Sanofi-Aventis Việt Nam Co., Ltd. It aimed to provide the public with an overview of RSV, which experts said causes more than 60 per cent of acute respiratory infections among infants and children worldwide.

Studies cited at the workshop showed that RSV is a leading cause of hospitalisation among infants, with an estimated 2.2 million children hospitalised each year. It is also a major cause of death among infants, accounting for more than 66,000 deaths worldwide annually.

On July 1, the Ministry of Health issued Decision No. 1965/QĐ-BYT on the classification of infectious diseases. Under the decision, RSV disease was added to Group B, which comprises dangerous communicable diseases capable of spreading rapidly and causing death.

Dr Trương Hữu Khanh, deputy chairman of the HCM City Infectious Diseases Association, said RSV affects people of all ages and is transmitted through respiratory droplets and secretions, as well as contact with contaminated surfaces.

Young children face a high risk of exposure because of their close contact with caregivers and other children.

Khanh said children under one year of age require special protection because their immune systems are not yet fully developed. This makes it more difficult for them to mount an effective immune response when exposed to RSV and leaves them vulnerable to RSV-related lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD).

He also noted that the risk of death from RSV is highest during the early years of life and that infection during this period can cause long-term health effects.

It is difficult to predict which infants with RSV will become severely ill or how quickly their condition will deteriorate. In some cases, symptoms can worsen within two to three days of appearing, he added.

RSV can cause upper respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, coughing, fever and loss of appetite. It may also progress to lower respiratory tract disease, including bronchiolitis or pneumonia, with signs such as wheezing, rapid breathing, low blood oxygen levels and apnoea.

There is currently no specific treatment for RSV infection.

Dr Phạm Quang Thái, head of the northern regional office of Việt Nam’s National Expanded Programme on Immunisation, said preventive measures for infants under one year of age include maternal vaccination during pregnancy and the direct administration of monoclonal antibodies after birth.

Monoclonal antibodies can provide immediate protection by acting like the body’s own antibodies, without the time needed for the body to develop an immune response following vaccination.

Vũ Mạnh Cường, director of the National Centre for Health Education and Communication, said effective RSV prevention could reduce severe cases and hospitalisations during the peak respiratory disease season, thereby easing pressure on healthcare facilities. VNS