Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a dual call to action today, urging global implementation of new immunisation products to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and a comprehensive ban on flavoured tobacco and nicotine products to safeguard youth from addiction.
The first-ever WHO position paper on RSV immunisation, published in the Weekly Epidemiological Record, highlights RSV as the leading cause of acute lower respiratory infections in children globally, resulting in approximately 100,000 deaths and 3.6 million hospitalisations annually among children under five, with half of these deaths occurring in infants under six months.
The vast majority (97%) of these fatalities are in low- and middle-income countries with limited access to supportive care like oxygen or hydration. To combat this, WHO recommends two immunization products: the maternal vaccine, RSVpreF, administered to pregnant women from the 28th week of pregnancy during routine antenatal care to transfer antibodies to newborns, and nirsevimab, a single-dose monoclonal antibody given to infants at birth, during their first health visit, or before their first RSV season, offering protection within a week for at least five months.
Both products, endorsed by WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation in September 2024, with the maternal vaccine prequalified in March 2025 for UN procurement, aim to significantly reduce severe RSV outcomes like pneumonia and bronchiolitis, particularly in vulnerable infants, including those born prematurely or with underlying health conditions.
Simultaneously, WHO marked ‘World No Tobacco Day’ by urging governments to ban all flavours in tobacco and nicotine products, including cigarettes, pouches, hookahs, and e-cigarettes, to curb their appeal to young people.
Flavours such as menthol, bubble gum, and cotton candy mask the harshness of these products, making them more attractive and harder to quit, while also being linked to serious lung diseases.
WHO’s new publication, Flavour accessories in tobacco products enhance attractiveness and appeal, reveals how flavour accessories like capsule filters and click-on drops bypass regulations to hook new users, particularly youth, through vibrant packaging and social media-driven marketing.
Globally, over 50 countries have banned flavoured tobacco, more than 40 have prohibited e-cigarette sales, with five specifically targeting disposables and seven restricting e-cigarette flavours.
WHO’s Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that flavours undermine decades of tobacco control progress, fuelling a global epidemic that kills 8 million people annually. Dr Rüdiger Krech, WHO’s Director of Health Promotion, described these products as manipulative, designed to addict a new generation through deceptive marketing and appealing designs, such as slim shapes and vibrant colours that undermine smoke-free policies.
RSV’s global burden underscores the urgency of WHO’s immunisation recommendations. The virus, while typically causing mild cold-like symptoms, can lead to severe complications in infants, young children, older adults, and those with compromised immune systems. Administering nirsevimab to infants under six months offers the greatest impact, though benefits extend to those up to 12 months. Dr Kate O’Brien, WHO’s Director of Immunisation, Vaccines, and Biologicals, emphasised that these products could transform the fight against RSV, dramatically reducing hospitalisations and deaths.
On the tobacco front, WHO’s accompanying information sheets detail how industries engineer products to enhance addictiveness, use misleading marketing to downplay risks, and employ political lobbying to evade regulations. These strategies disproportionately target vulnerable populations, particularly children and young people, necessitating robust regulatory measures. WHO praises countries like Belgium, Denmark, and Lithuania for their actions and urges others to follow, highlighting the role of governments, youth activists, and civil society in countering industry interference. Both initiatives call for sustained public health investment to protect vulnerable populations from preventable diseases, with the WHO urging regulators to raise awareness and implement strong policies to reduce the appeal and accessibility of harmful tobacco and nicotine products.
– global bihari bureau
