RS-virus

Geschreven door: Nil Schubert
Gepubliceerd op: 28 oktober 2025

Het RS-virus is één van de meest voorkomende verkoudheidsvirussen en de meest frequente oorzaak van luchtweginfecties bij kinderen. Bij de meeste kinderen uit het virus zich door verkoudheidsklachten, maar pasgeboren baby’s, prematuren en baby’s met onderliggende ziekten kunnen ernstig ziek worden door het virus.

À terme baby’s hebben in principe antistoffen tegen het RS-virus meegekregen van de moeder. Deze zullen echter binnen de eerste weken na de geboorte afnemen. Om prematuren en bijzonder kwetsbare baby’s te beschermen tegen (ernstige) RS-virusinfecties bestaat sinds 2000 de mogelijkheid om deze baby’s te immuniseren met palivizumab.

Sinds september 2025 maakt de nieuwe immunisatie met nirsevimab deel uit van het Rijksvaccinatieprogramma. Alle baby’s geboren na 1 april 2025 komen hiervoor in aanmerking. Onderzoeken laten zien dat de immunisatie de kans op (ernstige) RS-virusinfecties verlaagt. Het middel lijkt weinig bijwerkingen te hebben op de korte termijn, maar over de lange termijn is tot nu toe weinig bekend.

In het artikel gaan we verder in op het RS-virus, de symptomen, risicofactoren en natuurlijk de verschillende immunisaties/vaccinatie. We geven uitgebreid getallen over de werking en de veiligheid en laten de voor- en nadelen van alle opties zien. Ook leggen we uit waarom moedermelk en mogelijk flesvoeding met HMOs (human milk oligosacchariden) en vitamine D beschermend kunnen werken.

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