KSE
Articles
- Page Path
- HOME > Epidemiol Health > Accepted Articles > Article
- Original article Palivizumab coverage rates among moderate-to-late preterm infants in Korea: A nationwide cross-sectional study
-
Seungyeon Kim1
, Saram Lee2,3
, Young June Choe5
, Ju Sun Heo7,7
-
Epidemiol Health 2025;e2025015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025015 [Accepted]
Published online: April 1, 2025
2Department of Transdisciplinary Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul , Korea
3Department of Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul , Korea
4Innovative Medical Technology Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul , Korea
5Department of Pediatrics, Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
6Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul , Korea
7Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, Seoul, Korea
-
Corresponding author:
Young June Choe,
Email: jesus82@snu.ac.kr
Ju Sun Heo,
Email: jesus82@snu.ac.kr
- 402 Views
- 17 Download
- 0 Crossref
- 0 Scopus
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Since October 2016, South Korea has implemented a national reimbursement program for palivizumab aimed at moderate-to-late preterm (MLPT) infants born between 32 0/7 and 35 6/7 weeks of gestation during the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season (October–March). However, large-scale data on coverage rates and associated factors remain limited. This study evaluated palivizumab coverage rates and identified predictive factors influencing its administration in MLPT infants.
METHODS
This nationwide, population-based cross-sectional study utilized data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service collected between October 2016 and March 2019. MLPT infants eligible for palivizumab reimbursement were divided into administration and non-administration groups. Seasonal and overall coverage rates were assessed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis examined factors associated with palivizumab administration, with a focus on infant and maternal characteristics.
RESULTS
Among 2,843 eligible MLPT infants, 1,201 (42.2%) received palivizumab, while 1,642 (57.8%) did not. Although coverage rates increased annually, they remained suboptimal. Lower palivizumab prophylaxis coverage was observed in infants with higher gestational ages, female sex, absence of low birth weight, those born in March, residents of non-capital areas, infants not admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at birth, and infants of mothers aged <35 years.
CONCLUSIONS
In the initial 3 RSV seasons following the introduction of palivizumab reimbursement for MLPT infants in South Korea, the overall coverage rate was low (42.2%). National policies targeting infants with higher gestational ages, those born in March, and those residing in non-capital areas are necessary to improve coverage and ensure equitable RSV prophylaxis.
Cite
