RSV season in the U.S. typically peaks in January and February, with cases often stretching well into March. National emergency room visits and hospitalizations from the virus in kids ages four and younger have dipped slightly but are growing overall in more than a dozen states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest report on January 16.
U.S. health officials are reportedly questioning the safety of several approved therapies to treat respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in babies. The treatmentsspecifically, Sanofi and AstraZeneca's drug Beyfortus and Merck's drug Enflonsiaare shots that are given to infants in the first months of life to protect against complications from RSV, which is the number one cause of hospitalization in babies in the U.S. RSV typically hits in winter and can cause severe disease and even death in young babies and older adults.
RSV is a common viral infection that affects the lungs and upper airways. While most people recover without medical care, RSV can cause serious illness especially in infants, young children and older adults. Every winter in Ireland, more than 7,000 people are diagnosed with RSV, with historically a large number of young children requiring admission to hospital, especially infants aged less than one year.
When Laura Ehrlich gave birth to her first child in 2020, the COVID-causing virus wasn't the only threat facing her son. Born a micro preemie at under 26 weeks, little Alistair was also at very high risk for severe disease from other germs, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Ehrlich says she was terrified because it was a guaranteed hospital stay for him, and after he had already spent his first 134 days of life in a neonatal intensive care unit (ICU), I didn't want that for him anymore.
