If you’re a parent, you know you need to be prepared for respiratory illness season when influenza and COVID-19 cases rise. Babies and young kids don’t have the strong immune systems most adults do, so some colds and bugs are to be expected. But vaccinations and healthy habits can help keep your little one from coming down with something more serious. Along with flu and COVID-19, there’s another seasonal virus that’s important for you to know about.

Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, usually causes cold-like symptoms. But it can be more serious for certain groups, including babies who were born prematurely; are under 12 months old; or have heart, lung or other health conditions.

Below, you’ll learn more about RSV, including things you can do to help prevent your baby from getting it, how it spreads, and how infant and maternal RSV immunizations can help with protection.

How is RSV spread to babies? From infected air or surfaces.

RSV can spread through both direct and indirect contact. This means that a baby can get RSV from being in close contact with an infected person, breathing in the virus particles that an infected person spreads by coughing or sneezing, or by touching objects that those particles have landed on.

RSV is highly contagious, particularly while an infected person is showing symptoms, which typically last around a week. However, some people can be contagious for up to four weeks.

If your baby or child catches RSV, keep them home from daycare or school until:

• They’ve been without a fever for at least 24 hours without the help of fever-reducing medications (such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen)
• Their overall symptoms have improved

How to protect your baby from RSV

As your baby’s caregiver, one of the best ways to protect your baby from RSV is to avoid getting it yourself. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend the same methods for preventing RSV that are used to prevent other seasonal illnesses, including:

• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth – Viruses often spread when people touch their face after touching an infected surface or object. Even when you think your hands are fairly clean, try to avoid touching your face.
• Washing hands frequently and thoroughly – Every time you wash your hands, do so for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap. If a sink isn’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Disinfecting surfaces – Regularly wipe down commonly used surfaces and shared objects in your home with a virus-killing disinfectant. Also, wipe down shared objects like cart handles and similar surfaces in public spaces.
• Keeping a healthy social distance – When it’s possible, stay six feet apart from people with coughs and from those who you know are sick.

The best RSV protection: Immunizations for mom and baby

In addition to practicing prevention through habits like frequent, thorough hand washing, the best protection is immunization. For pregnant people, a vaccine exists to help protect your baby before they’re born. For children under 8 months old who were born during or who are entering their first RSV season, an antibody treatment is available.

RSV immunizations for babies and young children

Some babies can receive a dose of RSV protection in the form of monoclonal antibodies. Where vaccines train the immune system to produce its own defenses against invading viruses, monoclonal antibodies are the defenders, protecting babies’ young immune systems from RSV until they are mature enough to protect themselves.

This RSV immunization is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is considered safe. The most common side effects are pain, redness and swelling around the injection site, and a possible rash.

Babies born during the typical RSV season (fall to early spring) will usually get their dose at or shortly after birth, and babies born at other times of the year who are about to enter their first RSV season will get theirs in the fall. While uncommon, certain children who are at a higher risk of severe RSV may be eligible to receive an additional dose of monoclonal antibodies before their second RSV season.

If you’re wondering whether your child is eligible for RSV antibody treatment, talk with their doctor.

The maternal RSV vaccine

The FDA has approved a one-time RSV vaccine for pregnant women. Getting this vaccine at least two weeks before birth will allow your baby to be born with protection against RSV – meaning that they won’t need monoclonal antibody treatment. Your care team can discuss the vaccine with you at your prenatal visits, and the vaccine itself will be administered between week 32-36 of pregnancy.

Make an appointment for protection from RSV and other seasonal respiratory conditions

We can’t protect our kids from every single bug that’s out there, but it’s important to protect them from the ones we can. To get your child immunized against seasonal respiratory conditions like RSV, influenza and COVID-19, make an appointment today. If your child is eligible, they can even get multiple vaccinations in one appointment. Your child’s pediatrician or a primary care doctor can help you find out which immunizations they’re eligible for, and set them up to stay as healthy as possible.