This fall, for the first time, many babies in the U.S. will be eligible to get a shot to fend off RSV, a respiratory virus that can cause serious lung disease in infants and young children.
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all infants under 8 months old receive an injection of nirsevimab, a newly approved monoclonal antibody, as they enter their first RSV season (usually fall through spring). A subset of children up to 19 months at heightened risk of serious RSV disease – including those with chronic lung disease, and American Indian and Alaska Native children – can get a shot in their second RSV season.
