Estimated effectiveness of vaccines and extended half-life monoclonal antibodies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalizations in young children

Abstract

Several vaccines and extended half-life monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against RSV infection have shown promising progress in clinical trials. Aiming to project the impact of various prevention strategies against RSV hospitalizations in young children, we applied age-structured transmission models to evaluate prevention strategies including maternal immunization, live-attenuated vaccines, and long-lasting mAbs. Our results suggest that maternal immunization and long-lasting mAbs are highly effective in preventing RSV hospitalizations in infants under 6 months of age, averting more than half of RSV hospitalizations in neonates. Live-attenuated vaccines could reduce RSV hospitalizations in vaccinated age groups and are also predicted to have a modest effect in unvaccinated age groups because of disruptions to transmission. A seasonal vaccination program at the country level at most provides a minor advantage regarding efficiency. Our findings highlight the substantial public health impact that upcoming RSV prevention strategies may provide.