DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — An analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows RSV hospitalization rates lowered among infants and young children during the last RSV season.
Health experts said new vaccines and antibody treatments are helping protect the youngest and most vulnerable children.
The CDC report on hospitalizations among infants has dropped between 28% and 43% compared to RSV seasons before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There’s still RSV,” said Dr. Kelsey Grimes, a pediatrician with OSF HealthCare. “But we have seen a drastic decrease in hospitalizations and ICU stays, which is usually when kids get the increased work of breathing and need oxygen and support.”
RSV is one of the leading causes of hospitalization among infants and young children in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus can cause severe respiratory illness, especially in babies and children with underlying health conditions.
New tools are helping reduce severe cases. One is a maternal vaccine, given to pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy to pass antibodies to their babies before birth. Another is a monoclonal antibody injection available for infants up to seven months old and for certain high-risk children up to 19 months old.
“These preventative options don’t stop RSV completely,” Grimes said. “But they do make the illness much less severe, which means fewer hospital stays and healthier babies.”
Doctors recommend parents talk with their child’s pediatrician about eligibility for the RSV antibody or, for expecting mothers, discuss the maternal vaccine with their OB-GYN.
They also encourage families to continue practicing good hygiene, like washing hands, keeping sick people away from babies and watching for warning signs like trouble breathing or poor feeding.
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