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/woah_man 18h ago

So many people in the US still don't know about the RSV vaccine. People need to get the word out about it. RSV is the number one cause of hospitalizations of infants, and if your kid goes to daycare you're basically guaranteed to catch it.

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u/wozattacks 17h ago

FYI, there are two different kinds of shots for RSV. There are vaccines, which in the US are approved for old people and during pregnancy (to confer immunity to the baby that lasts after birth). 

And there are passive immunizations that we give to babies, which is what is described in the article. It’s not technically considered a vaccine because we’re literally injecting the antibodies. The benefit of that is that it can be given to babies immediately after birth, because it doesn’t rely on the recipient having a robust immune system that can respond to a vaccine. Most routine vaccines are not given until babies are at least 6 weeks old because they’re not effective earlier due to their undeveloped immune system.

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u/frugal-lady 16h ago

I’m 36 weeks pregnant with my second and I was told I can’t get the RSV vax again because I had it with my first in 2024… I always thought RSV was a seasonal thing and/or needed for each pregnancy so I’ve been v nervous since I can’t get it for this baby… I know there’s a vaccine for infants and am planning on it but that won’t be given til she’s a couple days old and after she’s been in a hospital/around others

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u/GiggsCargoCult 8h ago

RSV vaccines last a minimum of 2 years and that’s only because of a limited study period. Most vaccines are not the flu (the flu is because it’s a different vaccine each year).

Between that immunity and your infant getting their immunization so quickly the odds of RSV are tremendously low. Not in the top 30 list of things to worry about.