If you’re a parent, you know you need to be prepared for respiratory illness season when flu and COVID-19 cases are on the rise. Babies and young children do not have the strong immune system that most adults have, so some colds and viruses are to be expected. But vaccines and healthy habits can help prevent your little one from getting something more serious. Along with the flu and COVID-19, there is another seasonal virus that is important to know about.
Respiratory syncytial virus (sin-SISH-uhl), or RSV, usually causes cold-like symptoms. But it can be more serious for certain groups, including babies born prematurely; They are less than 12 months old; or have heart, lung, or other health problems.
Below, you’ll learn more about RSV, including things you can do to help prevent your baby from getting RSV, how it spreads, and how RSV vaccines for babies and mothers can help with protection.
How is RSV transmitted to babies? Through air or infected surfaces.
RSV can be spread by direct and indirect contact. This means that a baby can get RSV by being in close contact with an infected person, by inhaling virus particles that an infected person spreads when coughing or sneezing, or by touching objects that the particles have landed on.
RSV is very contagious, especially when an infected person shows symptoms, which usually last about a week. However, some people can be contagious for up to four weeks.
If your baby or child gets RSV, keep them home from daycare or school until:
- Have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the help of fever-reducing medications (such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen).
- His general symptoms have improved.
How to protect your baby from RSV
As your baby’s caregiver, one of the best ways to protect your baby from RSV is to avoid getting it yourself. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend the same methods to prevent RSV that are used to prevent other seasonal illnesses, including:
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. – Viruses often spread when people touch their faces after touching an infected surface or object. Even when you think your hands are pretty clean, try to avoid touching your face.
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly – Every time you wash your hands, do it for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap. If a sink is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Disinfect surfaces – Periodically clean commonly used surfaces and shared objects in your home with a disinfectant that eliminates viruses. Additionally, clean shared objects, such as cart handles and similar surfaces in public spaces.
- Maintaining a healthy social distance – When possible, stay six feet away from people who have a cough and those you know are sick.
The best protection against RSV: Vaccines for mom and baby
In addition to practicing prevention through habits such as thorough and frequent hand washing, the best protection is immunization. For pregnant people, there is a vaccine that helps protect the baby before it is born. For children younger than 8 months who were born during or are entering their first RSV season, an antibody treatment is available.
RSV Vaccines for Infants and Toddlers
Some babies may receive a dose of protection against RSV in the form of monoclonal antibodies. While vaccines train the immune system to produce its own defenses against invading viruses, monoclonal antibodies are the defenders, protecting babies’ immune systems from RSV until they are mature enough to protect themselves.
This RSV vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is considered safe. The most common side effects are pain, redness and swelling around the injection site, and a possible rash.
Babies born during the typical RSV season (fall to early spring) will generally receive their dose at birth or shortly after, and babies born at other times of the year who are about to enter their first RSV season will receive yours in the fall. Although rare, certain children who are at increased risk for severe RSV may be eligible to receive an additional dose of monoclonal antibodies before their second RSV season.
If you’re wondering if your child is eligible for RSV antibody treatment, talk to your doctor.
The maternal vaccine against RSV
The FDA approved a one-time RSV vaccine for pregnant women. Receiving this vaccine at least two weeks before birth will allow your baby to be born with protection against RSV, meaning he or she will not need monoclonal antibody treatment. Your care team can talk to you about the vaccine at your prenatal visits, and the vaccine itself will be administered between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.
Make an appointment to protect yourself from RSV and other seasonal respiratory conditions.
We cannot protect our children from all the insects that exist, but it is important to protect them from those that we can. To get your child vaccinated against seasonal respiratory conditions like RSV, influenza, and COVID-19, schedule an appointment today. If your child is eligible, you can even receive multiple vaccines in one appointment. Your child’s pediatrician or a primary care doctor can help you determine which vaccines they are eligible for and prepare them to stay as healthy as possible.
