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Panama’s Ministry of Health (Minsa) announced that the progressive rollout of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) monoclonal antibodies in public maternity wards will begin in late August 2026. According to Edgardo Ureña, national head of the Child and Adolescent Integral Health Section at Minsa, the initiative aims to protect newborns whose mothers did not receive the RSV vaccine during pregnancy amid an active epidemiological alert.
Rollout Details and Administration Protocol
The monoclonal antibody treatment will be administered directly at birth in public maternity facilities across the country. According to Minsa, the injection will be given alongside the standard initial neonatal immunization schedule, which includes the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis and the hepatitis B vaccine.
Implementation will begin once healthcare staff complete mandatory training programs and all necessary logistical and administrative preparations are finalized. The measure responds to formal requests from multiple medical societies urging authorities to expedite preventative treatments following a surge in RSV infections and associated fatalities.
The National Hybrid Strategy Against RSV
This late-August rollout is part of Minsa’s Mixed Strategy against RSV, which was initially launched in 2025. The comprehensive framework relies on three distinct components to curb severe pediatric illness:
- Maternal Vaccination: Administering the RSV vaccine to pregnant women between 30 and 36 weeks of gestation to transfer protective antibodies to the fetus during early life.
- Monoclonal Antibodies: Providing passive immunization directly to newborns whose mothers lacked vaccination coverage during pregnancy.
- Preventive Home Care: Promoting breastfeeding, strict household hygiene, and early detection of respiratory warning signs by caregivers.
To support healthcare providers during this rollout, Minsa released the Comprehensive RSV Care Guide and National Guidelines for Monoclonal Antibody Implementation.
Epidemiological Context and Mortality Data
The intervention comes as RSV circulation continues to outpace seasonal thresholds, remaining above the epidemiological alert baseline.
Of those fatalities, 12 victims were children under five years old, while one was an adult aged 65 or older. Among the pediatric casualties, eight were under two years of age—including a 42-day-old infant. Two deaths occurred in infants younger than six months, identifying this cohort as the demographic at highest risk for severe disease complications.
Health authorities continue to urge eligible pregnant women to receive the maternal RSV vaccine at local health centers and encourage families to maintain rigorous infection control practices to limit transmission among infants.
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