CLEVELAND — This week, the FDA stepped in to ease parents' minds by approving an RSV vaccine to protect newborns.
It's important because it's considered part of the tripledemic of flu, COVID and RSV expected to hit this fall and winter. Each year in the U.S., about 2.1 million kids younger than five must visit their doctor because of RSV. Between 58,000 and 80,000 are hospitalized, and 100 to 300 children younger than five die yearly.
"I don't think most people really understand how awful RSV season is for pediatric hospitals and how devastating RSV can be on infants and newborns," said Dr. Amy Edwards, pediatric infectious disease specialist at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital.
Edwards said the maternal RSV vaccine coming mid-October is exciting and hopeful, two words that are never associated with RSV.
"It's going to change our hospital because our numbers are going to be way down," Edwards added.
RSV attacks the lungs and can be life-threatening to young children and adults over 60, but especially infants. Edwards said hospitalized RSV cases last fall and winter were practically unmanageable.
"It was bad, it was busy, it was stressful," said Edwards. "I mean, I had to do shifts down in the emergency room because there just weren't enough doctors to go around."
The new vaccine, made by Pfizer, will be given to mothers late in their pregnancy, which protects newborns for the first six months of their lives. Akron Children's Hospital Chief Academic Officer Dr. Michael Forbes called the vaccine a game changer.
"The focus of preventing what's preventable is really what this is all about," said Forbes. "As a pediatric ICU doctor, I have seen the worse versions of RSV, where it's either life-changing, life-threatening, or even resulted in loss of life."
Vaccine hesitancy from expecting mothers remains an issue physicians are battling post-COVID-19 pandemic. Edwards hopes soon-to-be-mothers talk to their OBGYNs and learn the benefits of passive immunity.
"It's basically giving your baby a vaccine without giving them a vaccine," said Edwards. "This could empty beds, I mean, it could empty out hospitals."
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