Birth-hospital enrollment measured an RSV access route

A November 20, 2025 CDC report found that birthing-hospital enrollment in Vaccines for Children rose from 763 to 1,021 across the 2023–24 and 2024–25 RSV seasons: 27.1% to 36.2% of 2,817 facilities. Enrollment measures infrastructure, not infant immunization. ^[1]

The access problem had a timetable. CDC’s 2023 recommendation placed nirsevimab, a long-acting antibody, within a week of birth for eligible infants born during the RSV season, in hospital or an outpatient setting. Seasons varied geographically. The earlier preventive antibody palivizumab required monthly dosing and was limited to some children with underlying conditions. These are historical recommendations, not a current treatment schedule. ^[2]

Vaccines for Children offered an existing purchasing mechanism. CDC traces its origins to the 1989–91 measles epidemic, when vaccine cost prevented vaccination even among some children who had seen a provider. Congress created the program in 1993; it opened in October 1994. Public purchasing addressed product cost, while administration still required an enrolled provider. ^[3]

CDC simplified ordering and inventory policies, including allowing hospitals to stock only immunizations recommended within a week of birth. Nirsevimab orders rose from 46,738 to 102,057 doses. Procurement does not establish administration or avoided hospitalizations. ^[1]

The comparison matched provider records to the same hospital list at both time points, with jurisdiction review. It did not follow individual infants. ^[1]

The earlier clinical review assessed trial evidence and certainty about product performance; this facility comparison answered a different question. It did not establish when individual infants received a dose or their health outcomes. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

About this item: Retrospective report. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.