CDC recommends RSV vaccine for expectant mothers to safeguard newborns.Photo:Getty
Getty
Expectant mothers should receive theRSVvaccine between 32 to 36 weeks of pregnancy to protect their newborns from RSV, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
The CDC’s advisory committee overwhelminglysupported the new RSV vaccinewith an 11-1 vote, paving the way for public distribution.
CDC latest recommends RSV vaccine for expectant mothers to safeguard newborns.Getty
RSV infections, which are the most common cause of bronchitis and pneumonia in children under the age of one in the U.S., typically occur in the fall and winter during flu season. These infections “primarily spread via respiratory droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, and through direct contact with a contaminated surface,” according to the CDC.
Each year, the virus leads to nearly 80,000 hospitalizations and as many as 300 fatalities in the U.S. among this age demographic. Notably, an estimated 80% of children under the of age two who are hospitalized due to RSV have no pre-existing medical issues.
The CDC says in infants younger than six months, “RSV infection may result in symptoms of irritability, poor feeding, lethargy, and/or apnea with or without fever.” Beyond managing the symptoms, there is currently no specific treatment for RSV infection.
The CDC recommends that pregnant women get the new vaccine from September through January, when RSV rates are at their highest.
Last fall,RSV cases surged across the United States, with an estimated 71% of the nation’s 40,000 pediatric beds occupied, according to the Department of Health and Human Services—prompting hospitals like Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford and Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, among others, to take precautions to ensure there areenough pediatric hospital beds availablefor children who need treatment.
source: people.com
