The conference focused on discussing the burden of respiratory viral vectors (RSV), the leading cause of acute respiratory inflammation in young children and people aged ≥60.
According to the WHO, RSV causes more than 3.6 million hospitalizations and 100,000 deaths in children under 5 years old each year, nearly half of which are newborns under 6 months old. In Vietnam, RSV accounts for a high proportion of respiratory infections in children under 1 year old and causes hundreds of thousands of pneumonia cases in the elderly. The disease often progresses quickly, easily leaving serious complications and long-term consequences for breathing.
Experts emphasize that there is no specific treatment for RSV, so proactive prevention is an important solution. WHO and the US CDC both recommend implementing preventive measures, including boosting passive immunity for infants and pregnant women, as well as protecting the elderly with underlying diseases.
Pfizer representative affirmed that he will continue to accompany the Vietnamese health sector, bringing scientific advances to improve public health and reduce the burden of respiratory diseases.
