Córdoba reports 73% drop in infant hospitalisations for RSV

Hospital admissions for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among babies under one fell 73% in Argentina’s Córdoba province during the 2026 winter season compared with 2025, according to provincial health authorities. No deaths from the virus were recorded in that age group.

The results followed a two-part prevention campaign: vaccination during pregnancy, which passes protective antibodies to babies, and an antibody injection for newborns and infants without that maternal protection. The injection, nirsevimab, is not a vaccine. It supplies antibodies directly to help protect babies during the season when RSV spreads most.

Together, the measures reached 96.4% of the programme’s target infant population. More than 6,800 children received nirsevimab, which was available to babies born in both public and private healthcare settings.

RSV can cause serious lung infections, particularly in the first months of life. The lower burden of RSV admissions also helped children’s hospitals maintain scheduled surgery without cancellations linked to the winter surge in respiratory illness.

Officials linked the fall in admissions to the combined strategy, although how widely the virus circulated and other factors can also affect seasonal results. Health authorities are continuing to monitor respiratory viruses, and vaccination centres remain open for people to complete recommended doses.