Osakidetza will immunize 10,000 babies against acute bronchiolitis

This week, Osakidetza launched a new campaign to immunize against acute bronchitis and, between September and March,it is planned to immunize about 10,000 children , specificallymore than\u00A0 90% of the target population.

This is the third campaign launched by the Department of Health of the Basque Government against acute bronkiolitis through the monoclonal antibody called Nirsevimab , which is inoculated after contact with the virus and was marketed in 2022.

This drug is administered intramuscular before contact with the virus at a single dose and can prevent the disease andpreventthe most severe forms of acute bronchiolitis .

Normally, the cases are between Octoberand March  and the highest incidence is between November and December. 

At first thereare symptoms similarto catarrhea , such as mucus, cough or fever, but after a few days other symptoms may appear, such as difficulty breathing, whistling or fatigue, a fatigue that affects babies in their milk intake, as indicated by Eli Urrestarazu, Head of Primary Care at the Gros AmbulatoryinSan Sebastian .

The basic measures to prevent contagion are similar to those of other respiratory diseases, such as frequent hand washing, absence in enclosed and crowded spaces, ventilation of the interior, failure to bring the child to kindergarten or school when he or she is ill, or failure to visit newborns by people with respiratory symptoms (cataracts, cough or nasal mucus), all of which are important measures to prevent contagion.

Last year's campaign, immunization reduced consultations in primary care and hospital emergencies by 35%. In addition, hospitalizations resulting from the disease decreased by 50% in children under the age of 2, aldiz was 65% in babies under the age of 3. Last year, 1,623 babies were immunized in Álava, 5,032 in Bizkaia and 3,394 in Gipuzkoa.