Bronchiolitis: Pediatricians warn about low vaccination rates in some babies

As the annual bronchiolitis epidemic begins, pediatricians are raising the alarm. Some babies are not getting enough vaccinations.

While the Beyfortus vaccine is offered directly at the maternity ward for babies born on or after September 1st, this is not the case before then, as the disease is not circulating. As a result, babies born between February and August of last year are not sufficiently vaccinated.

Beyfortus is only effective for five months, but bronchiolitis is a seasonal viral infection. Therefore, maternity wards have not offered it to parents of children born before September 2025. Christèle Gras Le Guen, spokesperson for the French Federation of Pediatrics , urges these parents to consult their general practitioner or midwife immediately.

“Beyfortus is indicated for all children who will experience their first epidemic season. The product was not available before September 1st. So all children who were born since the last epidemic, between March 1st and September 1st, are also eligible. And it is this population that is not sufficiently protected,” she emphasizes.

Beyfortus has an immediate effect, preventing severe forms of the disease in newborns. Prescribed since 2023, the pediatrician recalls the impact of this new product on her practice.

“Incredible, far fewer people, far fewer children hospitalized, and far fewer admissions to intensive care,” she emphasized. The peak of the epidemic is expected in three to four weeks.