RSV vaccine available for infants and others

As respiratory illness season approaches, health experts are providing information about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the RSV vaccine, an important tool to combat severe RSV infections in vulnerable populations. The FDA recommends the RSV vaccine for certain individuals, including infants 12 months of age or younger, pregnant women, older adults, people with heart or lung disease, and people with weakened immune systems.

Last season, the vaccine was successfully rolled out to adults and pregnant women, but there was a shortage of vaccines for infants. However, this year's RSV season has changed things. ThedaCare expects to have vaccines available for newborns and infants who were not able to receive the vaccine last season.

Understanding RSV

RSV causes an infection of the lungs and respiratory tract. RSV is very common, with most children infected by age 2. The virus can also infect adults.

For most adults and healthy older children, symptoms of RSV infection are mild and usually similar to a cold. Individuals in these groups usually only require self-care measures to relieve discomfort.

Mild symptoms of RSV infection may include:

• Stuffy or runny nose
• Dry cough
• Slight fever
• sore throat
• sneeze
• headache

RSV infection worsens

RSV can cause serious infections in some people, including infants under 12 months of age. Premature babies are at higher risk. Other at-risk groups include older adults, people with underlying heart or lung disease, and people with weakened immune systems.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 58,000 to 80,000 children under the age of 5 (mostly infants) are hospitalized nationwide each year due to RSV infection. Some of these children may require oxygen, intravenous fluids, or a ventilator (a machine that helps them breathe). It is estimated that 100 to 300 children under the age of 5 die from RSV infection each year.

Symptoms of severe RSV infection include:

• heat
• Severe cough
• Wheezing
• Rapid or difficult breathing – may prefer sitting rather than lying down
• Lack of oxygen causes the skin to turn blue

In infants, serious symptoms include

• Short, shallow, fast breathing
• Difficulty breathing – chest muscles and skin pulling inward with each breath
• cough
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Extreme tiredness (lethargy)
• Irritation

Who should get vaccinated?

Medical experts recommend vaccination for three main groups: infants, pregnant women, and other adults who meet certain criteria.

Infants under 8 months

In addition to infants 8 months of age and younger, doctors may also recommend the vaccine for older children who are at high risk for severe illness from RSV. This group typically includes infants between 8 and 19 months of age. According to the CDC, the RSV antibody nirsevimab reduces the risk of severe RSV infection by about 80%. One dose protects infants for at least 5 months, the duration of an average RSV season.

Pregnant people

To maximize protection for the baby after birth, the CDC recommends that pregnant women receive one dose of the RSV vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Vaccination is recommended for this group during RSV season, which varies but is usually between September and January.

When you get the RSV vaccine, your body responds by producing proteins that protect you from the virus that causes RSV. This process takes about 2 weeks. When a pregnant woman gets the RSV vaccine, those protective proteins (called antibodies) are also passed on to her baby.

Babies born at least 2 weeks after their mothers have had the RSV vaccine are protected at birth, when infants are at highest risk for severe RSV infection. According to the CDC, the vaccine can reduce a baby's risk of being hospitalized with RSV by 57% during the first 6 months of life.

senior citizen

The CDC has said people over the age of 75 should get vaccinated. Adults ages 60 to 74 who are at high risk for severe RSV infection should also get vaccinated. This includes people with chronic heart or lung disease, certain other chronic conditions, and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

The RSV vaccine is not an annual vaccine, which means older adults do not need to be vaccinated every RSV season. People who have already been vaccinated do not need to be vaccinated again during this time. The best time to get vaccinated is in late summer or early fall, just before RSV begins to circulate in the community.

How to get vaccinated

ThedaCare is offering the RSV vaccine to eligible individuals who should follow these guidelines:

• Pregnant people should talk to their care team about when is the best time to get vaccinated.
• Infants 8 months of age and younger, and eligible infants between 8 and 19 months of age, should be vaccinated. Talk to your child's healthcare provider.
• Adults ages 60 to 74 should ask their health care provider if they should be vaccinated. Eligible people ages 60 to 65 can get the vaccine at their primary care doctor's office. People ages 65 and older with Medicare should get the vaccine at a retail pharmacy as payment is covered through Medicare Part D.
• Adults aged 75 and older should be vaccinated.

For more information about appointments and vaccines, My Seda Care.

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