Objectives: We aimed to describe direct medical costs of annual RSV-associated hospitalisation in the first year of life.
Methods: Retrospective cohort study in Lyon, France (2012-2016). A case was defined as a laboratory confirmed RSV-infection with hospitalisation in the first year of life. Hospital costs were estimated based on the French version of Diagnosis Related Groups.
Results: Overall, 350 cases in 21,930 children were identified. Incidence of RSV-associated hospitalisation in the first year of life per 1000 births was 14.5 (95% CI 13.4-15.6). Related direct medical annual costs were 364,269 €, mostly attributed to children born during the RSV season (231,959 €) and children born premature (108,673 €).
Conclusion: Medical costs for RSV-associated hospitalisation of newborns are higher for children born premature or born during the RSV season. Prioritised targeting of those groups may facilitate a cost-efficient strategy for the national prevention program.
Keywords: Acute respiratory infection; Bronchiolitis; Burden of disease; Cost analysis; Cost effectiveness; RSV; Vaccine.
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