France will raise state health insurance reimbursement for infant bronchiolitis treatments Beyfortus and Abrysvo from 30 to 65 percent at the end of August.
The rate increase by Assurance Maladie follows official notices published in the Journal Officiel on Friday, August 21. The measure responds directly to longstanding requests from France's major paediatrician organisations.
Both preventative treatments protect infants against respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV. The common seasonal virus causes bronchiolitis, an inflammatory lung condition that is usually mild but can occasionally lead to serious complications and hospital admission.
Maternal vaccine and antibody treatments
The revised coverage applies to two distinct medical products designed to protect young children during their most vulnerable months.
Abrysvo, produced by American pharmaceutical company Pfizer, is a maternal vaccine given near the end of pregnancy. The mother transfers immunity to the fetus, protecting the baby from birth up to six months of age.
Beyfortus, developed by French company Sanofi in collaboration with British drugmaker AstraZeneca, is an injectable synthetic antibody. It is administered to prevent bronchiolitis in infants during their first epidemic season, as well as children up to two years old who face high risks of severe disease during a second exposure to RSV.
Health authority evaluation and clinical data
The adjustment in state reimbursement follows a formal re-evaluation by France's National Authority for Health, known as HAS, completed in July.
The health authority raised its evaluation of the medical benefit of both treatments from moderate to important for preventing RSV infections in infants. It also advised that both preventative medications should be made accessible within maternity wards.
Leading French paediatrician groups had urged higher reimbursement in late 2024. They pointed out that many routine childhood vaccines are covered at 65 percent by state health insurance, while the measles vaccine is reimbursed entirely at 100 percent.
Clinical data published late in 2025 further supported the preventative measures. A study by the Epi-Phare scientific interest group, which links the French National Agency for Safety of Medicines and Health Products with Assurance Maladie, concluded that babies immunised with Beyfortus had a 25 percent lower risk of hospitalisation from RSV compared to those who received Abrysvo.
