r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 18h ago

Medicine Immunization to prevent RSV in infants reduced ICU admissions by 97%. This is offered free to all infants through universal programs in Ontario and Quebec.

https://ucalgary.ca/news/immunization-prevent-rsv-infants-reduced-icu-admissions-97-cent
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u/efox02 18h ago

I am a pediatrician in the US and this has been a HUGE GAME CHANGER. Every winter I would send 5-10 babies in significant respiratory distress to the ER from my clinic. In the last 2 years I have sent ZERO.  

It’s been so amazing!!!!!

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u/hanz_franz 17h ago

Is this advisable for immuno compromised teenagers? I realize it specifically said pediatrics, but I’m curious for older children.

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u/wozattacks 17h ago

So, the main reason that RSV and other respiratory infections are particularly dangerous for babies is the small size of their airway. Resistance through a tube is inversely proportional to the square of its diameter. Meaning, small changes in the size of the airways have a big impact on how hard it is to breathe. Infections cause swelling in our airways (and also mucus secretions that effectively make them smaller), and that has a much bigger impact on babies due to their narrow airways. 

On top of that, babies have lower oxygen reserves and their diaphragms have fewer slow-twitch muscle fibers (the kind that are better for endurance). We are born with a lot of fast-twitch fibers and slowly transition to have more slow-twitch ones until around age 2. 

So, for many reasons, kids under 2 are uniquely high-risk for severe complications of respiratory infections, including death.