The CDC just shared new information showing a medicine called Nirsevimab is good at keeping babies from getting so sick from a virus called RSV that they have to go to the hospital. RSV is a big reason why lots of babies end up in the hospital. The CDC says it’s a good idea to give this medicine to babies in their first RSV season if their mom didn’t get a vaccine for RSV when she was pregnant.
This is the first year we’ve had Nirsevimab to help protect babies from getting a severe case of RSV. The information we have now comes from the first time the United States has looked at how well Nirsevimab works to keep babies from needing hospital care because of this virus.
Researchers looked at 699 babies from October 2023 to February 2024. They found out that Nirsevimab stops 90% of hospital visits caused by RSV in babies who are going through their first RSV season. These findings come from a shorter time of watching because this is a new treatment that started being used in August 2023. The protection might not be as strong over the full RSV season, which usually goes from October to March. As we use Nirsevimab more in the future, the CDC will keep checking how well it works for the whole RSV season.
Stopping RSV is very important for keeping babies safe. Doctors should suggest giving Nirsevimab to babies under 8 months old in their first RSV season if their mom didn’t get the RSV shot while pregnant. Another option is for pregnant women to get the RSV vaccine between weeks 32 and 36 of their pregnancy, especially if it’s between September and January.
