Mankato Clinic pediatrician urges parents to protect infants from RSV

Parents can choose a maternal RSV vaccine during pregnancy or immunization after baby is born.

MANKATO (September 23, 2024) — Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of hospitalization in infants during the first year of life. An RSV immunization is widely available this fall to protect babies during their first RSV season which begins in October and lasts through April in Minnesota.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the one-shot RSV immunization for infants younger than 8 months of age who are born during, or who are entering, their first RSV season. The shot reduces the risk of severe RSV disease by roughly 80 percent. Severe RSV can be fatal and cause hospitalization. 

“As a pediatrician, I am relieved that we have an immunization to protect our youngest ones from severe RSV,” Dr. Noelle Bach says. “One shot protects infants for at least 5 months, the length of an average RSV season. The shot does not provide long-term protection, but it protects infants when they are most at risk of getting very sick from RSV.”

RSV immunization is also recommended for children age 8-19 months who are at an increased risk for severe RSV disease and entering their second RSV season. Risk factors include:   

  • Children born prematurely and have chronic lung disease
  • Children with severe immunocompromise
  • Children with cystic fibrosis
  • Native American children

“I encourage parents and caregivers to talk with their pediatrician or family medicine provider to learn more about the RSV immunization. We are here to answer your questions,” Dr. Bach says.

Parents may choose to protect their children from RSV through the maternal RSV vaccine. The RSV vaccine is for pregnant women whose babies will be born during the RSV season. The vaccine is given between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. It takes 14 days for the immune protection to be passed on to the baby. This shot will be offered to eligible patients from September through January in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department.

About Mankato Clinic

In 1916, Mankato Clinic was founded in Mankato by five area physicians who believed that a comprehensive, multi-specialty group practice offered the best means of providing quality health care to the residents of southern Minnesota. Today, Mankato Clinic has more than 180 phsyicians and practitioners and employes over 900 people and is the largest physician-owned and multi-specialty healthcare groups in the state of Minnesota.