Three seasons after Spain introduced its immunisation plans, a Sanofi study of 1,322 parents of children aged up to three found that 95% of families who immunised their children against respiratory syncytial virus felt calmer about the infection.
Reassurance has grown faster than detailed knowledge of RSV. The study also examined awareness of bronchiolitis, one of the virus’s basic complications.
In Andalusia, regional authorities said 55,000 infants were immunised against RSV in the previous season, or 96% of newborns. The region has allocated €15.2 million for its 2026/27 campaign.
For 84% of respondents, a doctor was their first source of information about RSV. Family and friends came next at 31%. More than 20% mentioned nurses. Search engines and social networks each cleared that mark, too. Doctors remain the decisive source.
Knowledge of the virus is growing, but remains far from complete. Four in ten families link RSV to specific childhood infections. Another 42% know it affects babies or young children, a higher share than those who associate flu with such infections (27%) or COVID-19 (16%).
Yet 27% of parents know the virus only by name and do not understand what it can cause. Another 18% say they have never heard of it.
That gap matters. Families are weighing the chance of infection alongside concerns about bronchiolitis and hospital care. Almost every participant said RSV or bronchiolitis would affect the baby’s parents emotionally to some degree. Hospital admission causes the most anxiety: eight in ten families said they fear it.
The worry extends beyond the doctor’s office. Almost eight in ten parents believe a baby’s infection could hurt household finances, and six in ten think they would have to miss work to care for the child.
The study found that the basic financial pressure comes from absence from work and lost income. Direct medical and care costs play a smaller part. Families examining wider pressures around healthcare and daily life can also consult earlier coverage on changes affecting access to medical support in Spain.
RSV prevention now covers several Spanish regions. Andalusia began its 2026/27 campaign on 21 September 2026. The Junta de Andalucía said the regional strategy has protected 165,737 infants since 2023. Campaigns in the Basque Country and Galicia were continuing or preparing to start in late September and early October 2026. Madrid’s campaign was also continuing or preparing to start during that period.
Regional surveillance in the Valencian Community recorded zero RSV cases during weeks 37 and 38 of 2026. That does not remove the seasonal risk, but it shows transmission can be minimal during some weeks.
The Spanish National Centre for Microbiology reported three paediatric RSV infections in the previous epidemic season involving a variant that evaded nirsevimab. Earlier ISCIII data indicated that immunised infants under one had an 80% lower risk of RSV hospitalisation.
Families who declined immunisation most often cited a lack of information. Yet 84% of those parents said they would have protected their baby if they had received more information before deciding.
The study points to a clear pattern: protection makes families feel safer, while information helps them decide. Concern has not disappeared. Clear guidance from paediatricians can reduce uncertainty, but many parents still need a better explanation of RSV, including its risks and the limits of immunisation.
