Researchers behind a new study are recommending the “universal immunization of pregnant women and infants against RSV.”
The study authors researched outcomes in children with RSV in Canada, but the results apply equally to children in the U.S. In 2023, 89% of 2,000 infants studied “suffered an RSV infection in their first year of life that resulted in a healthcare visit.” RSV can cause “wheezing, a barking cough, and difficulty breathing.”
RSV affects “90% of children across the globe before the age of 2…and otherwise healthy children can require hospitalization or respiratory support in an intensive care unit.” There were 33 million RSV infections in 2019, along with “4 million hospitalizations and 30,000 inpatient deaths among children under 5 years of age globally.” Most children recover at home, but “around 1-2% of children require hospitalization, and rates are higher for children born prematurely or those with risk factors like congenital heart disease, chronic lung disease, or immunodeficiency.”
The researchers involved with this study found a “profound connection between RSV and pediatric patient populations: infants under 6 months accounted for nearly 45% of 30,000 RSV-related hospitalizations between 2017 and 2023.” A vaccine “given to pregnant women in the last trimester protects them and their infant against serious RSV for up to five months following delivery. Another given to infants at birth protects them against serious RSV illness for up to six months.”
