Portugal has widened its immunisation campaign against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to include every infant up to one year of age, according to HealthNews. The outlet reports that the programme is already starting, with the first doses being given as the 2026/2027 season gets under way.
The campaign is not limited to the mainland. The regional government of the Azores confirmed that its own RSV immunisation drive for 2026/2027 also begins today, in a separate announcement carried by portal.azores.gov.pt.
RSV is the virus behind bronchiolitis, a common lower respiratory infection in very young children. A paediatrician told Saúde Mais TV that extending protection to a broader group of babies should ease pressure on hospital emergency departments, which typically see a surge in infant bronchiolitis cases during the colder months.
The measure means families with children in the first year of life will be offered the immunisation as part of the national schedule, rather than only those in narrower risk groups. HealthNews did not specify in its headline report which product is being used or how the doses will be delivered.
Coverage of the rollout has come from several Portuguese outlets, including Renascença, which reported on the start of infant immunisation against the virus.
What to watch next: official figures on how many infants have been reached, and whether emergency department admissions for bronchiolitis fall over the coming season.