Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) season goes, hand in hand, with the flu season. Here comes to the aid of new parents #TogetherAgainstRSV - an awareness campaign by Sanofi with the support of the Italian Society of Hygiene (SItI), the Italian Society of Pediatrics (SIP) and the Italian Society of Neonatology (SIN) - with the aim of providing authoritative information to new parents to properly deal with Respiratory Syncytial Virus in toddlers. Together Against RSV stems precisely from the need to increase awareness among new parents about this seasonally circulating virus. According to a recent survey conducted by Doxapharma in collaboration with Fattore Mamma, RSV is known by only half of parents (45%), despite its very high prevalence among children: more than 90 percent are infected at least once by the age of two. The campaign is quite articulated and develops on several fronts: online, on social networks, but also on the ground, thanks to a widespread distribution of information materials in pediatric clinics and vaccination centers. Online (www.togetheragainstrsv.it) gathers all the necessary information on RSV: what it is, what are the early warning signs, what symptoms to pay attention to and what measures to take to prevent the virus, as well as a checklist of risk factors to better interact with the pediatrician. The site also includes video-pillettes by Dr. Valentina Paolucci (widely followed on social media as @ladottoressadeibambini) and testimony from some moms who have had direct experience with their own children. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis - a viral infection affecting the bronchi and bronchioles - and pneumonia, diseases that can develop into severe forms requiring hospitalization. Among children affected by the virus, more than 1 in 5 need outpatient medical care while more than 2 in 100 require hospitalization, leading to a major burden on both health care facilities and families. "RSV is a pathogen that affects virtually all children within the first two years of life and if neglected can severely impact their health - says Giovanni Gabutti, Coordinator of the Vaccines and Vaccine Policies Working Group of the SitI - Research is making important progress, but to date it is essential to inform and spread awareness among new parents. Involving vaccination centers and public health facilities where new parents go for the first vaccinations, necessary for their babies, especially in the first months of life is an important piece. We all need to work together for effective communication to protect all infants and children from RSV."
