Brazil Begins SUS Rollout of Nirsevimab to Protect High-Risk Infants From RSV

Overview

• The program covers premature newborns and children up to 23 months with specified comorbidities such as congenital heart disease, chronic lung disease of prematurity, severe immunocompromise, Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, neuromuscular disease, and airway anomalies.
• Administration is year-round in maternity wards or during neonatal hospitalization once the baby is clinically stable and eligible for the intramuscular dose.
• States are initiating local application, with Ceará set to start on February 9, while some municipalities, including Campinas, report they are still awaiting transferred doses.
• The initiative complements the RSV vaccine offered to pregnant people since December 2025 to reduce severe bronchiolitis and pediatric hospitalizations.
• Public access seeks to counter both the high RSV burden—over 43,000 severe cases in 2025 with 82.5% of hospitalizations in children under two—and private-market prices reported between R$3,000 and R$3,500 per dose.