TY - JOUR
T1 - Incidence and seasonality of respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisations in young children in Denmark, 2010 to 2015
AU - Jepsen, Martin T.
AU - Trebbien, Ramona
AU - Emborg, Hanne Dorthe
AU - Krause, Tyra G.
AU - Schønning, Kristian
AU - Voldstedlund, Marianne
AU - Nielsen, Jens
AU - Fischer, Thea Kølsen
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - For future decisions on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-vaccination strategies and implementation into national immunisation-programmes, we used national registry data (hospitalisation, microbiology and vital statistics) to determine the age-specific incidence and direct medical costs of annual RSV-associated admissions in children < 5 years-old for the period of 2010–2015. We identified ca 2,500 RSV-associated hospitalisations annually amounting to total direct medi-cal-costs of ca EUR 4.1 million per year. The incidence of RSV-associated hospitalisations peaked in infants 1–2 months of age followed by infants 2–3 months of age, and infants < 1 month of age, respectively. Infant boys were at higher risk of severe RSV infection as compared to infant girls: male-to-female ratio peaked with 1.4 at four months of age and gradually levelled out with increasing age to 1.0 at 4 years of age. Five RSV-associated deaths were identified. Our findings demonstrate that in a western country as Denmark, RSV constitutes a considerable burden on childhood health. Furthermore, the best approach to reduce the high incidence of RSV-associated hospitalisations in young infants < 3 months of age may be maternal vaccination due to general challenges in achieving sufficient and protective immune responses in young infants.
AB - For future decisions on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-vaccination strategies and implementation into national immunisation-programmes, we used national registry data (hospitalisation, microbiology and vital statistics) to determine the age-specific incidence and direct medical costs of annual RSV-associated admissions in children < 5 years-old for the period of 2010–2015. We identified ca 2,500 RSV-associated hospitalisations annually amounting to total direct medi-cal-costs of ca EUR 4.1 million per year. The incidence of RSV-associated hospitalisations peaked in infants 1–2 months of age followed by infants 2–3 months of age, and infants < 1 month of age, respectively. Infant boys were at higher risk of severe RSV infection as compared to infant girls: male-to-female ratio peaked with 1.4 at four months of age and gradually levelled out with increasing age to 1.0 at 4 years of age. Five RSV-associated deaths were identified. Our findings demonstrate that in a western country as Denmark, RSV constitutes a considerable burden on childhood health. Furthermore, the best approach to reduce the high incidence of RSV-associated hospitalisations in young infants < 3 months of age may be maternal vaccination due to general challenges in achieving sufficient and protective immune responses in young infants.
U2 - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.3.17-00163
DO - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.3.17-00163
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 29386093
AN - SCOPUS:85041923526
VL - 23
JO - Eurosurveillance
JF - Eurosurveillance
SN - 1025-496X
IS - 3
M1 - 17-00163
ER -