The injection is given by Youth Healthcare Services (JGZ). Babies born until the end of March will be offered the injection against RSV in the current season. Ideally, babies should be given the injection as early as possible. Very young children have the highest risk of ending up in hospital for RSV. The virus is currently still circulating in the Netherlands.

Fewer ICU admissions 

From 29 September 2025 through 1 February 2026, a total of 43 infants were admitted to Dutch children’s ICUs with an RSV infection. In that same period in 2024-2025, 178 babies had been admitted to ICU. This represents a decrease of 75%. A significant part of the decrease in ICU admissions can be attributed to the introduction of the injection against RSV. The extent of its impact will be researched in more detail in the near future.

Reduced pressure on healthcare system

Paediatricians give positive feedback that the injection against RSV was introduced. Dr Doctor (Doctor) Valerie Sloof, paediatrician at the Wilhemina children’s hospital, says, “In the paediatric ICU, we are now seeing a clear decrease in the number of patients with an RSV infection. There has also been a drop in the huge pressure that we normally experience in winter in terms to the number of available beds in the children’s ICU.”  

RSV

The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause serious respiratory infections. RSV infections are mainly seen in autumn and winter. The virus can be dangerous, especially for young babies. They could develop shortness of breath or pneumonia.

How the injection works

The injection protects babies against severe illness resulting from the virus during their first year of life. The injection against is not a vaccination, but an immunisation. The injection contains antibodies against the virus. That means the baby does not have to produce its own antibodies against RSV, which would happen in response to a vaccination. The RSV antibody injection offers almost immediate protection, lasting about 6 months. Some countries, including Spain, Portugal and Belgium, have been giving the injection against RSV to infants for some time now. Research in those countries has shown an 80% decrease in children going to hospital for RSV since then.

Very few side effects

There are very few side effects. The skin around the injection site may be irritated, puffy or red, or the baby may have a fever. This is in line with the side effects of the injection against RSV as reported to the Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb so far in the Netherlands. In general, the symptoms occur within one day after the injection and usually go away on their own. If a very young baby (under 3 months) develops a fever, it could be a side effect of the injection, but parents are advised to contact the GP to make sure that the fever is not caused by anything else.

Seasonal injection

Babies receive the injection just before or during the time of year when RSV is most common (autumn/winter). The timing of the injection depends on when the baby is born:

• Babies born from 1 October through 31 March will receive the vaccination within 2 weeks after being born. This usually happens at home.
• Babies born from 1 April through 30 September will receive the vaccination in September or October, just before the RSV season starts.