A vaccine for RSV may be coming soon, and it would join a long line of vaccines that are available to help protect the health of infants. Infants get a lot of vaccines in their first two years of life and this is to help protect them against preventable illnesses. While they are building their immune system, they count on these vaccines to help protect them. However, there is not a vaccine for every childhood illness, and some can be more serious than others, even fatal. RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is one of those illnesses.

According to US News, the only way right now to prevent RSV is an injection called Palivizumab, which needs five shots, and it is only given to infants at high risk, however that may be changing. This is based on a new study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and can be read in full here.

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RSV is commonly seen in the fall, winter and spring, and it does present itself like a cold. It carries symptoms like congestion, runny nose, fever, and sore throat. However, it can also lead to lung infections in babies, and it can be threatening.

This new study found that one shot of a monoclonal antibody called Nirsevima may be able to protect all infants for the entire RSV season. This medication is developed by Snofi and AstraZeneca, and while the two drugs are similar, this new one has longer-lasting protection, so it wouldn’t rely on as many injections.

Dr. Jennifer Kurtz is a director of pediatrics and neonatology, and she would highly recommend this to parents. She stated that she would tell parents to strongly consider this for their infants at the start of RSV season.

This vaccine has also been proven to be safe, and while some babies can get through RSV just fine, that is not always the case for every baby. A vaccine could help protect not just the vulnerable, but all infants. The study found that out of 1,490 infants, the vaccine was 74.5% effective against lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV.

They also found that out of those infants, only 1.2% of them needed medical intervention for RSV, and that is compared to the 5% in the placebo group who needed medical intervention when they contracted RSV. While it may not be ready yet, it is holding a lot of promise.

Sources: US News, NEJM