October 11, 2023 – Recent advances in immunology have given healthcare providers and their patients recent tools to combat a potentially fatal respiratory disease that primarily affects older adults. And no, it's not COVID-19.
Health officials consider that almost every American will turn out to be infected with at the least a gentle type of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during their lifetime. The disease may be life-threatening for infants and young children and may also be dangerous for older adults.
Each yr, 60,000 to 160,000 adults over 65 years of age are hospitalized for RSV. up to 10,000 deadIn May, the FDA approved the first RSV vaccine for adults over 60.
Then, in July, the FDA has approved a vaccine for young children and for expectant mothers within the thirty second to thirty sixth week of pregnancy. There are between 58,000 and 80,000 hospital admissions for kids under 5 years of age annually.
Doctors strongly advise adults over 60 with health problems to get vaccinated against RSV Cold and flu season, but now also COVID and RSV.
“I think it's a no-brainer for someone who has any kind of immune deficiency or chronic disease,” said Tom Yadegar, MD, a pulmonologist and medical director of the intensive care unit at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Los Angeles. Patients with heart and lung disease, liver or kidney disease, diabetes, asthma and COPD are the prime candidates for the vaccine. “The RSV virus infection can be very serious and can lead to hospitalization and also death.”
Yadegar said half of his office appointments consist of talking about vaccines for RSV, COVID-19 and the flu.
Awareness and understanding of RSV has increased lately. During the COVID pandemic, health care providers have begun conducting more respiratory testing, Yadegar said. Advances in medicine have allowed experts to raised determine what’s a chilly and what’s RSV.
Similar to the common cold, RSV generally causes mild symptoms that go away in a week or two. But just like the flu, RSV can pose a big risk to older and fewer healthy people.
The vaccine poses no serious risks. Reactions include the same old redness and pain on the injection site. Anyone who has ever had an allergic response to a vaccine should seek the advice of their doctor.
The RSV vaccine for adults is between 83% and 89% effectivedepending on the manufacturer.
“I strongly encourage them to take advantage of this vaccine,” said Paul Auwaerter, MD, clinical director of infectious diseases on the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, of patients age 60 and older with underlying health conditions.
He ranks RSV as “one of the big three” respiratory diseases, behind COVID and the flu.
“It is still a preventable disease that vaccination can potentially influence, so I strongly recommend it,” Auwaerter said.