Respiratory syncytial virus immunization patterns in Germany, 2015-2020

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Health Economics

Background:

• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a primary cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants worldwide.
• Palivizumab is a key prophylactic agent for high-risk infants, but its utilization and associated costs require evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess health-care resource utilization and costs of palivizumab prophylaxis for RSV in infants in Germany.
• To analyze the real-world uptake of palivizumab in eligible infant populations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized German statutory health insurance claims data (birth cohorts 2015-2019).
• Identified eligible infants using ICD-10 codes for RSV and palivizumab immunization.
• Calculated health-care resource use and costs from a third-party payer perspective.

Main Results:

• Only 1.3% of eligible infants received palivizumab in their first year.
• The average number of doses per immunized infant was 4.6.
• Mean cost per treated infant was €5,435, with substantial overall expenditure.

Conclusions:

• Palivizumab utilization for RSV prophylaxis in German infants is low despite the disease burden.
• Current preventive strategies may not reach a broad enough population.
• Novel interventions with broader indications and simpler administration are needed to mitigate RSV impact.