CDC Recommends First Maternal RSV Vaccine to Safeguard Infants

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended a new vaccine, Abrysvo, to protect infants from severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The vaccine, given to pregnant individuals during the 32nd to 36th week of gestation, aims to prevent RSV lower respiratory tract infection in infants. The CDC's independent vaccine advisers voted in favor of recommending the maternal vaccine, which has been shown to provide protection against RSV for at least the first six months of an infant's life. The vaccine's cost, at $295 per dose, has raised concerns among some committee members. Another option to protect infants from RSV is an antibody treatment called nirsevimab, which can be given to all infants after birth.