Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has made a fair amount of news in recent years as a cause of several nationwide outbreaks, but the development of a vaccine for this strange-sounding virus has been in the works for decades. Thankfully, as of 2024, the approval of three vaccines and a new monoclonal antibody treatment have signaled a new era of RSV protection.
Experts say the suite of new options could significantly decrease the rate of severe infection in children. “The rate of hospitalization of children due to RSV should fall by at least 50%,” says Lorry Rubin, MD, director of pediatric infectious disease at Northwell. “And when the immunization program is mature, I would expect a 90% decrease in RSV hospitalization rate.”
A problem for babies and those 60 and older
For most people, this common respiratory virus causes nothing worse than a mild cold. But it’s the No. 1 reason for hospitalization among babies, says Cohen Children’s Medical Center infectious disease specialist Mundeep Kainth, DO, MPH. The pediatric immune system is still underdeveloped and inexperienced at fighting infection. This means trouble in the case of highly contagious viruses like RSV, which can cause inflammation of their tiny airways and leave them struggling to breathe.
Each year, as many as 80,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized because of RSV. Much of that has to do with the way the highly contagious virus spreads: direct contact with the virus, whether through respiratory droplets from an infected individual or by touching something a patient previously touched. This means that younger children, who tend to experience the world through touch and taste, are particularly susceptible to RSV infection.
