Stamford Health Offering New Treatment To Protect Babies From RSV

STAMFORD, CT — Cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are starting to rise in the community, and Stamford Health has a new tool in the toolbox this season to help protect one of the most vulnerable populations.

Starting this month, Stamford Health began offering a new treatment and injection, Nirsemivab, for newborns and infants. The treatment was approved for use earlier this year.

The RSV season typically runs from October or November and lasts until March.

RSV symptoms include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, low-grade fever and fatigue. Young babies and children, especially those with underlying medical issues, and the elderly, are susceptible to serious illness.

Stamford Health Director of the Division of Neonatology Dr. John Ciannella said parents will likely see a rise in RSV cases this fall.

"RSV infection is one the most common diseases of early childhood. Infants are at the highest risk of having RSV lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), which we call Bronchiolitis," Ciannella added. "Although most healthy infants who develop RSV Bronchiolitis will not require hospitalization, 1-3 percent of all infants will be admitted to the hospital because of severe disease. The highest rates of RSV hospitalizations occur in the first 6 months."

Unlike a vaccine, the new long-acting monoclonal antibody injection Nirsevimab does not introduce the virus into the body. It prevents the virus from entering the body’s cells instead, and renders immunity within about a week of administration and protects an infant for five months — about the length of an RSV season.

Ciannella said the preterm population is at higher risk of severe RSV infection, and Stamford Health has had success in the past using Synagis, a similar class of therapy as Nirsevimab. But Synagis was used for a certain cohort of the preterm population.

"There has been no therapy to prevent RSV disease in the remainder of preterm infants or full-term infants. According to the JAMA Network, most infants admitted to the intensive care unit for RSV disease are previously healthy full-term infants. It is exciting to now have Nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody aimed at preventing medically attended RSV LRTIs, for all infants and especially those at high risk," Ciannella said.

According to Stamford Health Director of Infectious Diseases Dr. Asha Shah, studies have shown an efficacy rate of 80 percent in reducing the risk of severe RSV in infants up to the age of 5 or 6 months.

Shah said the treatment is being offered to all newborn babies at Stamford Health along with their traditional slate of vaccines. The treatment is for all infants up to the age of about 8 months within their first RSV season, Shah said.

"The hope is that we can provide this to the majority of infants as they're born into our hospital. The local pediatric offices are offering it as well. It is included in the free vaccine program for children," Shah said.

There's another recommendation for infants aged 8 months to 19 months to receive a dose during their second RSV season, but that's only applicable to those who have chronic medical conditions that put them at risk for severe disease.

Expecting mothers can also receive a different RSV vaccine from 32 weeks to 36 weeks. In most cases, the baby would not need the new monoclonal antibody treatment, Shah said. There is also an RSV vaccine for adults aged 60 and above with certain medical conditions that put them at risk.

Nirsevimab is available at Stamford Health's newborn nursery. Patients are being referred to places like local pharmacies for the other vaccines if they are recommended.

Shah said it's difficult to predict what this RSV season will look like because of the impact that COVID-19 had on the population's natural immunity to viruses. Last year's RSV season was severe since it was the first time that masking was not widely used and social distance measures were lifted.

"People weren't getting sick for a couple of years because of all the mitigation measures for COVID, and so last year we saw a really big surge in RSV in children, severe disease, and a lot of hospitalizations," Shah said.

Other than COVID-19 which is still out there, Shah said viruses are acting as expected.

"We do start to see a rise in RSV around this time of the year, and we're not seeing a lot of flu," Shah said. "The flu tends to pick up a little later. The RSV comes down before the flu really picks up."

Shah recommended commonsense preventative measures, like covering your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, washing your hands, staying home when you don't feel well, or avoiding others who are sick.