RSV- Respiratory syncytial virus

^{_{The vaccine is now available to infants}}

RSV is a common respiratory virus, particularly affecting infants, young children, and older adults.

• How can you get RSV: coughing, sneezing, or close contact with someone that has contracted the virus.
• How do you avoid it: handwashing, avoiding sick contacts, and wearing masks in clinical settings.
• Seasonal trends: RSV infections spike typically in fall and winter. RSV is the leading cause of Respiratory virus associated hospitalizations in children age 0-4 years old. See the graph below, RSV is most active from October through April with the peak from December through February.

 for active trends visit: RSV-NET | RSV | CDC 

What can you do to protect your baby?

• To prevent severe RSV disease in infants, either maternal RSV vaccination (Pfizer's Abrysvo) or infant immunization with a long-acting RSV monoclonal antibody (nirsevimab or clesrovimab) is recommended. Most infants will not need both maternal vaccination and infant RSV antibodies. Administration of infant RSV antibody is recommended during October through March in most of the U.S.

An infant RSV antibody is recommended for infants younger than 8 months of age who are born during or are entering their first RSV season (typically fall through spring) if:

• The mother did not receive RSV vaccine during pregnancy, or
• The mother’s RSV vaccination status is unknown, or
• The infant was born within 14 days of maternal RSV vaccination.

Siouxland District Health Department offers RSV vaccines for infants by request through our Vaccines for Children program. Eligibility is dependent on insurance status: Medicaid, uninsured and underinsured only. Call us to set up an appointment. 

If you have private insurance, please connect with your Family Doctor to talk about a RSV vaccination for your baby.

For more information about RSV follow the link below:

Learn More