RSV vaccine for pregnant women launched in Ecuador, also in Brazil
Brazil continues to offer the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine to pregnant women as part of routine prenatal care, recommending it from the 28th week of gestation and pairing it with influenza, dTpa, hepatitis B and Covid‑19 shots. The Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm) runs a "Todos contra o VSR – Proteção desde o Início" campaign, noting that VSR accounts for 80% of bronchiolitis and up to 60% of pneumonia in children under two, with 21,398 severe respiratory cases and 246 deaths reported this year. Ecuador has now introduced the same RSV vaccine for pregnant women, marking its first use in the country, with rollout beginning in the Cotopaxi region. Health officials stress that maternal immunisation transfers protective antibodies to newborns, reducing early‑life respiratory illness.
Entities: Abrysvo · Brazilian Ministry of Health · Ecuador · Ecuador Ministry of Public Health · Galápagos · Isabella Ballalai · Juan Carlos Aveiga · Ministry of Public Health (Ecuador) · Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccine · Sociedade Brasileira de Imunizações (SBIm)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm) launched the campaign 'Todos contra o VSR – Proteção desde o Início' to raise awareness of RSV immunisation. (SBIm campaign announcement)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The RSV vaccine is recommended for pregnant women from the 28th week of gestation in Brazil. (Brazilian prenatal care program)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The RSV vaccine is part of Brazil's prenatal care program alongside influenza, dTpa, hepatitis B and Covid‑19 vaccines. (Brazilian health program)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The rollout of the RSV vaccine in Ecuador began in the Cotopaxi region. (Ecuador Ministry of Public Health (MSP))
- [● 2 SOURCES] Maternal immunisation transfers antibodies to the fetus, providing protection in the first weeks of life. (Brazilian health officials)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In 2023 Brazil recorded 21,398 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SRAG) cases caused by VSR, with 246 deaths. (Ministry of Health statistics)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] VSR causes 80% of bronchiolitis cases and up to 60% of pneumonia in children under two years old. (SBIm data)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Ecuador incorporated the RSV vaccine for pregnant women for the first time. (Ecuador health authorities)