The Ministry of Health of the Nation announced that on January 12, 2026, a national vaccination strategy against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) will begin nationwide. The goal is to get ahead of the virus's circulation and ensure the protection of newborns, as reported by the Argentine News Agency. The health ministry communicated the decision via a circular sent to all jurisdictions, specifying that the doses are already in the country and will begin to be distributed to the provinces starting next week. The vaccination is aimed at pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of gestation. The campaign is oriented towards pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks and 6 days of gestation, with the purpose of transferring immunity to the baby during pregnancy and protecting it from the first day of life. The vaccination does not require a medical order, and it is only necessary to present a certificate that accredits the week of gestation. RSV is the main cause of lower respiratory infections in infants. Although bronchiolitis is its most frequent manifestation, infections caused by this virus are also associated with a greater risk of recurrent wheezing and long-term asthma development. From the Ministry, they highlighted that maternal vaccination during this critical period of pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of severe bronchiolitis, pneumonia, hospitalizations, and severe complications during the first six months of life. The decision to start the strategy in January aims for the largest possible number of newborns to arrive protected at the beginning of the seasonal rise in the virus's curve, in addition to reducing pressure on pediatric emergency rooms and optimizing the health system's resources, in a context of high occupancy of hospital and intensive care unit beds. This will be the second consecutive year that the RSV vaccination campaign begins in January. The strategy applied in 2025 was recognized internationally, with more than 178,000 doses administered, 65% coverage of the target population, and reductions of 62% in hospitalizations and 70% in admissions to intensive care in babies under six months, according to preliminary data.
