Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV is highly contagious and causes lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Globally, it is responsible for 33 million infections and 3.6 million hospitalisations in children under 5 each year. Nearly 40 per cent of these hospitalisations occur in infants under 6 months, many of whom are too young for routine vaccinations.
To address the health challenges brought on by RSV, the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Malaysia (OGSM), in collaboration with Pfizer Malaysia, has launched “Breath of Hope”, a nationwide awareness campaign to tackle RSV.
The campaign emphasises maternal immunisation and elderly protection as two urgent pillars of prevention, while encouraging families to recognise the shared responsibility in safeguarding the most vulnerable.
“Breath of Hope” highlights RSV’s silent yet serious toll on both ends of the age spectrum – infants under 6 months and older adults over 60, particularly those living with chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma or heart disease.
“The role of an obstetrician goes beyond childbirth. We have the responsibility to provide mothers with holistic evidence-based care.
“RSV vaccination is the next breakthrough in maternal immunisation that will be saving more lives,” says OGSM past president Dr Muniswaran Ganeshan.
In Malaysia, RSV cases usually surge during the monsoon (July to August and October to December), overwhelming hospitals with infant Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions.
One of the most effective ways to protect infants from RSV begins before birth through maternal immunisation.
By receiving a vaccine during pregnancy, mothers pass protective antibodies to their babies via the placenta, forming a natural defence during the baby’s first vulnerable months of life.
We already vaccinate pregnant women for flu and whooping cough. RSV protection is the next frontier, says maternal foetal medicine specialist and OGSM assistant secretary Professor Dr Aida Hani Mohd Kalok.
“It’s not just about science, it’s about giving every baby a stronger start in life, from their first breath.”
In Malaysia, awareness around maternal immunisation remains low despite recommendations from global and local health bodies.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
