"Although the virus usually causes only mild, cold-like symptoms, RSV can be particularly dangerous for infants, with 2-to-3 out of every 100 babies under 6 months old hospitalized annually, according to federal health officials. It is one of the most common causes of hospitalization for infants under two years of life, said Dr. Jenny Vesona-Murray, a local obstetrics and gynecology specialist at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center."
"Kaiser, the North Bay's largest primary care provider, has been administering the single-dose RSV vaccine, Abrysvo, to pregnant patients for the past three years, Vesona-Murray said. Current federal guidelines do not recommend the vaccine if a mother has received it in a previous pregnancy. Last year, prenatal Abrysvo vaccinations, along with immunizations given to infants using the monoclonal antibody medication called nirsevimab, have resulted in an estimated 50% decline in the number of child hospitalizations at Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California."
RSV causes lower respiratory tract infections and hospitalizes an estimated 2–3 of every 100 babies under six months each year. Infants cannot effectively clear secretions from their lower airways, increasing the risk of severe illness. Kaiser Permanente has administered the single-dose prenatal RSV vaccine Abrysvo for three years and expanded prenatal vaccination to more than 9,000 pregnant patients in Northern California, a 67% increase from 2023. Federal guidelines advise against repeating the vaccine in subsequent pregnancies. Combined prenatal Abrysvo and infant nirsevimab immunizations corresponded with an estimated 50% decline in child hospitalizations. Patients have widely accepted the vaccine as winter approaches.
Read at www.pressdemocrat.com
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