Minsa Urges Pregnant Women to Vaccinate as RSV Cases Pressure Children’s Hospital
PANAMA CITY, July 20, 2026 – The Ministry of Health reinforced its prevention message against respiratory syncytial virus, urging pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of gestation to receive the vaccine so antibodies can help protect newborns.
Health Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo made the appeal during a visit to the neonatology area of Hospital del Nino, where pediatric respiratory patients are receiving care. Officials reported that 48 children were hospitalized in the intensive-care unit and 20 had RSV infection.
RSV circulates every year during Panama’s rainy season, generally from June to November. Infants and young children are at greater risk of serious complications, especially when respiratory symptoms progress quickly.
The ministry’s message focuses on prevention before birth. Maternal vaccination can reduce the risk of severe disease in newborns during the first months of life, when babies are most vulnerable and too young for many direct interventions.
Why it matters
The number of children in intensive care gives the warning immediate urgency. Prevention could reduce pressure on hospitals and protect infants during the peak rainy-season circulation period.
What happens next
Health authorities are expected to keep promoting maternal vaccination and respiratory precautions while monitoring ICU demand at Hospital del Nino and other facilities.
