Nirsevimab effectiveness, number needed to immunize and impact on severe RSV outcomes in preterm, high-risk and healthy-term infants, Quebec, Canada
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Background
During the 2024-25 season, a universal infant nirsevimab program was publicly funded in Quebec, Canada. We estimated effectiveness, number-needed-to-immunize (NNI) and impact against severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) outcomes.
Methods
We conducted a test-negative study among nirsevimab-eligible children RSV-tested during ER consultation or hospitalization between October 1 st , 2024 and March 3 st , 2025. Eligible children were healthy-term and born during the RSV season (at-birth group) or <6 months old on October 1 st (catch-up group), preterm, with high-risk conditions or living in remote regions. We estimated adjusted effectiveness by eligible group and further used 2023-24 respiratory hospitalization rates, RSV-positivity from a systematic hospital-based surveillance network, and coverage estimates to derive the NNI and tally of averted hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
Results
Effectiveness analyses included 3,172 ER consultations (668 RSV-positive) and 1,758 hospitalizations (549 RSV-positive). Nirsevimab effectiveness against ER consultation, hospitalization and ICU admission was 86% (95%CI:82-90), 89% (95%CI:84-92) and 88% (95%CI:58-97), respectively. Effectiveness exceeded 80% for all eligible groups. We estimate 41 at-birth and 58 catch-up immunizations needed to avert one RSV-associated hospitalization between October and March. Applying Quebec catch-up coverage (64%) and timing (November launch), we estimate more than half of RSV-associated hospitalizations and ICU admissions were prevented, potentially increasing to more than three-quarters if catch-up coverage reached 90% by October 1 st .
Conclusions
Nirsevimab is highly effective and could more substantially impact the overall burden of RSV hospitalization and ICU admission through broad and timely administration to healthy-term and high-risk infants. To inform optimal nirsevimab timing, the durability of late-season protection warrants further investigation.
