(WKYT) – RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is spreading later in the year than usual, prompting health professionals to ask parents of young babies and children to get them immunized.
The immunization window has been extended through the end of April because of lingering cases across the country. RSV season typically wraps up in March.
M.D. Elizabeth Hawse with Commonwealth Pediatrics said RSV is a virus spread like a cold. It causes swelling in airways and is more severe for babies with smaller lungs, leading to difficulty breathing.
“I’m talking about really having to pull and tug to actually move air into and out of their lungs,” Hawse said. “They’re doing what we call belly breathing, that skin between their ribs is sucking in and their bellies moving out when they’re breathing.”
Hawse said parents with babies under 8 months old should not wait to get them immunized.
“That’s why we have public health in this country is to guide us and say, ‘Okay, it’s not just you that’s seeing it in your little practice. We’re seeing this as a whole in the community and there’s something we can do about it,’” Hawse said.
The reason for the late surge of RSV is not clear, but viral seasons can and do shift, Hawse said.
“A lot of us will, as adults, will have RSV and think we just have a cold or we think it’s allergies and then we’re around a baby and the baby gets symptoms and we realize it’s more than that. So, this is why you need to be really careful visiting people’s newborns,” Hawse said.
Parents should call 911 if a baby looks blue or is not breathing. Signs a baby needs the emergency room include breathing faster than normal, flaring nostrils, grunting and more.
Hawse said immunizations can make a world of difference.
“We see the vaccine work in real time. It’s really going to protect your child from RSV and RSV hospitalization,” Hawse said.
Health professionals also recommend older adults get a vaccination against RSV.