While the seasonal waves of respiratory infections such as flu or bronchiolitis are coming to an end or are expected to end soon, the Directorate General of Health (DGS) and the Public Health Service of France (SPF) reported on Tuesday February 27 an autumn and a winter “bright” on the epidemic front. However, the Director General of Health, Grégory Emery, recognized that for nurses “Situations in which the guards may have been difficult”.

As for bronchiolitis, the epidemic lasted about as long as last season, with the same peak “early” Late November to early December, according to Laëtitia Huiart, scientific director of Public Health France. The peak in question was lower in 2023, with 2,300 hospitalizations of children under 2 in the week of November 27 to December 3, compared to 2,900 in the corresponding week in 2022. Above all, A smaller number of babies under 3 months of age had to be hospitalized because of severe cases.

According to M.^Me Huiart, “This strongly indicates the Beyfortus government’s interest in these age groups,” the trade name of Nirsevimab. Developed by Sanofi and AstraZeneca, this new monoclonal antibody against respiratory syncytial virus, the main cause of bronchiolitis, has been implemented in maternity wards since mid-September 2023. According to clinical studies, it is able to reduce the number of hospitalizations for bronchiolitis in children under 1 year old by 83%. After the very serious bronchiolitis epidemic in 2022-2023, which overwhelmed many intensive care services, pediatricians were waiting for treatment. However, both DGS and SPF demand that the results of ongoing studies be awaited in order to confirm the effectiveness in real use.

Very high demand

Christèle Gras-Le Guen, head of the pediatric department at Nantes University Hospital, who was commissioned by the government to support the bronchiolitis prevention campaign, is certainly happy about it “The historical support of parents” for new treatment. Almost 85% of them would have chosen to inject their child with this antibody. “This is an extremely positive surprise in a rather “vaccine-sceptical” country.” according to her. In September 2023, the hype surprised health authorities: while 200,000 doses had been ordered, demand for nirsevimab was very high had forced the government to restrict it to maternity wards so that it can be administered to the youngest and therefore most vulnerable infants, to the detriment of city pharmacies.

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