What is the recommended dose of palivizumab per kilogram for RSV prophylaxis?

• A. 10 mg/kg
• B. 20 mg/kg
• C. 25 mg/kg
• D. 15 mg/kg

Answer: (D)

Palivizumab is given as a weight-based dose to ensure enough antibody is present in the bloodstream to help prevent RSV illness during the at-risk season. The recommended regimen is 15 mg for every kilogram of body weight per dose, given intramuscularly once a month for up to five months of RSV season. This dosing was shown to reduce RSV hospitalizations in high-risk infants while maintaining an acceptable safety profile. In practice, there’s a per-dose cap of 150 mg, so heavier infants may receive up to 150 mg per injection even though that would be more than 15 mg/kg for their weight. The other mg/kg options do not align with the approved regimen and would either underdose or unnecessarily increase exposure without proven additional benefit.