Kansas doctors say it’s particularly important for pregnant women to be vaccinated against the illness RSV during a national shortage of shots for infants. RSV is most dangerous to kids and older adults. Getting vaccinated during pregnancy transfers protection to babies before they’re born.
Doctor Gretchen Homan is President of the Kansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She says most babies who get RSV don’t need hospitalization, but it’s still hard for parents to care for them. Babies can be sick for weeks at a time with terrible congestion, needing suctioning from their nose and having difficulty coordinating their ability to drink, but parents are doing this at home and it takes a ton of effort. Pediatricians celebrated the release of RSV immunizations this year, but high demand and high costs are complicating the rollout. The shortage is not impacting shots for pregnant women and adults 60 and older.
