RSV vaccine availability protected most babies

Most infants were immunized against respiratory syncytial virus via a maternal vaccine or a monoclonal antibody for infants during the first season vaccines were available, according to an analysis published in Pediatrics. Using Vaccine Safety Datalink data, researchers found 72% of 36,949 infants were immunized during the 2023-2024 RSV season. However, disparities in access occurred, with the lowest uptake among Black (60.5%) and Middle Eastern/North African (60.2%) mothers. Asian mothers (83.7%) had the highest rates of uptake. The study suggests clinicians and parents followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s now-disbanded Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, with 95% of mothers receiving the vaccine within the recommended 32 to 36 weeks’ gestation period. (MedPage Today article, 5/6/25)