Uzbekistan Strengthens RSV Prevention Measures for Infants

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is becoming one of the main health threats to newborns and infants under one year of age in Uzbekistan, ranking second among acute respiratory infections after influenza.

The virus can cause severe respiratory failure requiring intensive care and significantly increases the risk of complications in early childhood.

RSV spreads through airborne droplets and contact transmission, making complete prevention nearly impossible.

According to experts, up to 70% of children become infected with RSV in their first year of life, and by the age of two, nearly every child has encountered the virus.

Chief Neonatologist of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, Umida Nasirova, emphasized the importance of early symptom recognition and preventive measures.

“We are now at the peak of the acute respiratory infection season. Children are getting seriously ill, developing high fevers and shortness of breath, and the disease can progress so quickly that a child ends up in intensive care with respiratory failure,” she said.

The expert stressed that prevention is always more effective than treatment. One of the key preventive measures is breastfeeding: “According to international studies, breastfeeding provides the best protection for infants under one year. Such children get sick less often and recover more easily.”

She also highlighted the importance of basic hygiene practices: clean hands, regular ventilation, and avoiding crowded indoor environments.

For high-risk children — those born prematurely or with chronic lung disease, heart defects, or congenital immunodeficiencies — immunization using monoclonal antibodies is available.

In Uzbekistan, the drug Synagis (palivizumab) has already been registered, and the immunization program is now being introduced.

In developed countries, this preventive measure is routinely implemented and has been proven to reduce the risk of severe illness.

Anna Karpova, Head of the Pediatric Department at the Moscow Perinatal Center of City Clinical Hospital No. 67, noted that Russian experience demonstrates the effectiveness of year-round prophylaxis for children in high-risk groups.

“In Moscow, we immunize children regardless of the season, because after the COVID-19 pandemic, the seasonal pattern has changed, and children now get sick throughout the year. This allows us to protect infants who often spend months in intensive care,” she explained.

According to experts, Uzbekistan’s healthcare system has the necessary resources to treat severe RSV cases. However, doctors emphasize that parental awareness and adherence to preventive measures remain key to reducing infection rates and protecting infants.

For now, Uzbekistan maintains a seasonal approach to RSV prevention — focusing on the autumn-winter and spring periods — but experience from neighboring countries such as Russia and Kazakhstan shows that year-round immunization for high-risk infants is more effective.