Following the most recent modification by the American Academy of Pediatrics, based on American studies on RSV epidemiology, the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA) decided to limit the total financial coverage of the palivizumab prescription by the National Health Service only to the < 29 wGA group and age ≤ 12 months at the beginning of the RSV epidemic season. However, the vulnerability of otherwise healthy premature infants ≥ 29 wGA has been demonstrated in Italian analyses. We retrospectively reviewed records from children ≤ 1 years of age admitted for RSV-induced ALRI at the Gaslini Hospital, over three consecutive RSV epidemic seasons (RES) (2014-2017). We found that the prescription limitation on RSV immunoprophylaxis in preterms was associated in the 2016-2017 RES with: a) a high proportion of admission for the < 36 wGA infants, the great majority born at 33- < 36 wGA and a chronological age of < 6 months; b) a high proportion of preterms treated with high flow nasal cannula ventilation. These results strongly point to a need to reevaluate the role of palivizumab prophylaxis in the >= 29 wGA subpopulation when specific risk factors are present.
Keywords: Palivizumab; Preterm; Prophylaxis; Respiratory syncytial virus.