Age distribution of respiratory syncytial virus disease in children younger than 5 years in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed
a day ago
- #LMICs
- #pediatrics
- #RSV
- The study focuses on the age distribution of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in children under 5 years in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- WHO recommends passive immunization for infants under 6 months, with some strategies extending to 12 months, to combat RSV.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted, analyzing 160 datasets with 131,124 RSV counts from the pre-COVID-19 decade (2010-2019).
- Key findings include the mode age for severe outcomes: 3 weeks for non-facility deaths, 4 weeks for facility deaths, and 7 weeks for ICU admissions.
- 20% of ICU admissions and 23% of facility deaths were in infants younger than 8 weeks, highlighting the vulnerability of the youngest infants.
- The study underscores the importance of immunizing infants under 6 months to mitigate severe RSV outcomes.
- Funding was provided by WHO, with additional support from various organizations, though the study maintains independence from commercial influences.