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. 2020 Jul;146(1):e20193611.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-3611. Epub 2020 Jun 16.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospitalizations Among Young Children: 2015-2016

Brian Rha  1 , Aaron T Curns  2 , Joana Y Lively  2   3 , Angela P Campbell  4 , Janet A Englund  5 , Julie A Boom  6   7 , Parvin H Azimi  8 , Geoffrey A Weinberg  9 , Mary A Staat  10 , Rangaraj Selvarangan  11 , Natasha B Halasa  12 , Monica M McNeal  10 , Eileen J Klein  5 , Christopher J Harrison  11 , John V Williams  13 , Peter G Szilagyi  14 , Monica N Singer  8 , Leila C Sahni  6 , Daniella Figueroa-Downing  2   15 , Darius McDaniel  2   16 , Mila M Prill  2 , Brett L Whitaker  2 , Laura S Stewart  12 , Jennifer E Schuster  11 , Barbara A Pahud  11 , Gina Weddle  11 , Vasanthi Avadhanula  17 , Flor M Munoz  6   7   17 , Pedro A Piedra  6   7   17 , Daniel C Payne  2 , Gayle Langley  2 , Susan I Gerber  2
Affiliations

Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospitalizations Among Young Children: 2015-2016

Brian Rha et al. Pediatrics. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of hospitalized acute respiratory illness (ARI) among young children. With RSV vaccines and immunoprophylaxis agents in clinical development, we sought to update estimates of US pediatric RSV hospitalization burden.

Methods: Children <5 years old hospitalized for ARI were enrolled through active, prospective, population-based surveillance from November 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016, at 7 US pediatric hospital sites. Clinical information was obtained from parent interviews and medical records. Midturbinate nasal and throat flocked swabs were collected and tested for RSV by using molecular diagnostic assays at each site. We conducted descriptive analyses and calculated population-based rates of RSV-associated hospitalizations.

Results: Among 2969 hospitalized children included in analyses, 1043 (35%) tested RSV-positive; 903 (87%) children who were RSV-positive were <2 years old, and 526 (50%) were <6 months old. RSV-associated hospitalization rates were 2.9 per 1000 children <5 years old and 14.7 per 1000 children <6 months old; the highest age-specific rate was observed in 1-month-old infants (25.1 per 1000). Most children who were infected with RSV (67%) had no underlying comorbid conditions and no history of preterm birth.

Conclusions: During the 2015-2016 season, RSV infection was associated with one-third of ARI hospitalizations in our study population of young children. Hospitalization rates were highest in infants <6 months. Most children who were RSV-positive had no history of prematurity or underlying medical conditions, suggesting that all young children could benefit from targeted interventions against RSV.

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Conflict of interest statement

POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Dr Halasa receives research support from Sanofi and is a consultant for Moderna and Karius. Dr Englund receives research support from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Novavax, and Janssen and is a consultant for Sanofi Pasteur and Meissa Vaccines. Dr Williams serves as a consultant for Quidel, GlaxoSmithKline, and ID Connect, none of which are relevant to this article. Dr Harrison’s institution receives research funding from GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, and Pfizer for vaccine studies on which he is an investigator. Dr Schuster’s institution receives research funding from Merck for a study in which she is an investigator. Dr Pahud’s institution receives research funding from GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Alere for vaccine studies in which she is an investigator, and she serves as a consultant for Sanofi, Pfizer, Seqirus, and GlaxoSmithKline. Dr Munoz receives research support from Novavax, Regeneron, Biocryst, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, serves as a data and safety monitoring board member for Pfizer and Moderna, receives royalties from UpToDate as an author and editor, and is a consultant for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; the other authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

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