RSV is a serious heath threat, but the public knows little about it
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230621164803.htm
Worldwide, RSV is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in babies. Though its symptoms are typically mild, the highly contagious RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, can cause serious illness, hospitalization, and even death among infants and the elderly. By the age of 2, nearly all children get sick from RSV, which was one of three illnesses -- with the flu and Covid-19 -- contributing to last winter's "tripledemic" that overwhelmed some health care facilities. The CDC estimates that 58,000 to 80,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized annually because of it.
After decades of research, scientists have developed vaccines against RSV. In May, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two RSV vaccines for older adults, and this summer is likely to approve a maternal RSV vaccine for pregnant people to pass antibodies on to fetuses to prevent RSV in infants from birth up to at least six months of age.