Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospital Admissions in Children Younger Than 5 Years in 7 European Countries Using Routinely Collected Datasets.
Reeves RM., van Wijhe M., Tong S., Lehtonen T., Stona L., Teirlinck AC., Fernandez LV., Li Y., Giaquinto C., Fischer TK., Demont C., Heikkinen T., Speltra I., van Boven M., Bøås H., Campbell H., RESCEU Investigators None.
BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory tract infection (RTI) in young children. Registries provide opportunities to explore RSV epidemiology and burden.MethodsWe explored routinely collected hospital data on RSV in children aged < 5 years in 7 European countries. We compare RSV-associated admission rates, age, seasonality, and time trends between countries.ResultsWe found similar age distributions of RSV-associated hospital admissions in each country, with the highest burden in children ConclusionsOur results demonstrate the benefits and limitations of using linked routinely collected data to explore epidemiology and burden of RSV. Our future work will use these data to generate estimates of RSV burden using time-series modelling methodology, to inform policymaking and regulatory decisions regarding RSV immunization strategy and monitor the impact of future vaccines.