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Respiratory illnesses like the flu and COVID-19 spread more commonly in the fall and winter months ahead, and doctors in central Ohio are already sending a warning to parents about the growing number of cases they are seeing of RSV.
However, new guidance on the vaccine for the virus could help drive those numbers down.
“It’s very typical this time of year for all age kids,” said Dr. Misha Yajnik, a Pediatrician with OhioHealth. “The younger kids are the ones that are more susceptible to getting sick.”
Despite the recent string of above average temperatures, Dr. Yajnik said the number of RSV patients she’s beginning to see is rising.
The virus can often lead to wheezing and respiratory distress. While older kids tend to fight it off like a common cold, it’s children one-and-under that are most at risk.
“The younger ones, they get that inflammation, that breathing difficulty. (It’s) a little bit harder to manage, and those are the ones we end up seeing getting hospitalized,” Dr. Yajnik said.
For years, strict guidance only saw the vaccine administered to premature babies, and those with the highest health-risk factors. But now, for the first time, the antibody shot is approved for kids of all ages.
“Typically, the recommendation is within two weeks of giving birth,” said Dr. Yajnik, who explains the vaccine’s antibodies will transfer from the mother to their unborn fetus. “If not, the babies can start getting that as soon as they’re born.”
While your kid may have been vaccinated for RSV in the past, doctors say previously vaccinated children may still need another shot.
“It’s not something that stays in your system for a whole year. So, if you are in a certain high-risk population…especially babies that are premature or have any kind of lung disorder at birth, then we do want to offer it again in the following season,” Dr. Yajnik said.
But the same guidance holds true not just for children, but for the elderly population as well. Individuals 65-and-up, particularly those with other health conditions, are among those most-at-risk for severe cases of RSV.
The vaccine can serve as another layer of protection against the increasing number of multi-virus illnesses since COVID-19.
And though hesitancies surrounding vaccines remerged during the pandemic, Dr. Yajnik assures its safety and efficacy for parents with questions about the shot’s ingredients and side effects.
“Parents are trying to make the best decisions for their kids in all aspects, and especially with vaccines. I’m a huge proponent of asking questions, come talk to me, read the right resources,” Dr. Yajnik said.
Dr. Yajnik also says any parents with questions about whether the RSV vaccine is appropriate for their child, should contact their pediatrician.