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Help Protect Your Patients and Your Community Against RSV

Date: 02/26/24

You have the best interest of your patients at heart. More than that, you have their trust. Your patients trust you more than any other source when it comes to vaccines. And your recommendation is the most effective way to ensure they get the ones they need. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the leading cause of childhood respiratory illness in the United States, resulting in thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths per year. Infants six months and younger are at highest risk. Prevention is essential to combat the severity of RSV. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved, and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommends, maternal RSV vaccine and the infant RSV monoclonal antibody providing two opportunities to protect against the negative side-effects of RSV.

Maternal RSV Vaccination (Abrysvo)

Pfizer’s bivalent RSVpreF vaccine, Abrysvo, is the only RSV vaccine approved for use during pregnancy.

  • A single injection given to pregnant individuals at 32 weeks through 36 weeks gestational age has shown reduction in severe RSV infection in infants by 81% within 90 days of life, and 69% within 180 days of life.
  • Ideally the vaccine should be administered from September through January.
  • May be administered with other vaccines recommended during pregnancy, such as flu, COVID-19 and Tdap.
  • Provides protection for infant if maternal vaccination occurred at least 14 days prior to birth.
  • Common side effects include injection site pain, headache, muscle pain and nausea.

 Infant RSV Monoclonal Antibody [nirsevimab (Beyfortus)]

For the 2023-2024 RSV season, there are known supply shortages of nirsevimab. In areas with shortages, guidance is to encourage maternal RSV vaccination as an alternative. A single intramuscular injection is recommended for infants younger than 8 months of age born during or entering into their first RSV season to prevent severe RSV disease.

  • Available for infants if maternal RSV not given or if vaccine was given but delivery occurred prior to 34 weeks gestation.

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