ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - It's the season for common viruses like the flu and Covid-19. Now doctors are seeing a heavy presence of Respiratory Synctyial Virus (RSV), specifically in infants.
For adults, symptoms of RSV are similar to that of a simple cold. But this illness affects infants more drastically with symptoms like a fever, runny nose, cough, difficulty breathing and lack of appetite.
Doctor Jason Newland is with the Saint Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force as a pediatric infectious disease physician. He said the RSV vaccine is important for two groups and one vaccine, ABRYSVO, is available to pregnant women.
"Pregnant women can get this vaccine against RSV between 32 and 36 weeks gestation," Newland said. "And the anti-bodies, those protective things that the pregnant mom will make, will be transferred to the baby at time of birth and protect the baby against serious RSV infections that can often land them in the hospital and potentially in the ICU."
The other group RSV vaccines are targeting is for those older individuals over the age of 60. Newland said over 14,000 Americans in that age group die annually from RSV, and both vaccines for RSV are approved for this age group.
Newland said our best best at getting through this season and the next is to have pregnant moms get vaccinated.
"Doing this RSV vaccine, for pregnant moms as well as for the elderly, is important and will protect people," Newland said.