NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For the first time, the CDC is recommending pregnant mothers get vaccinated to protect their babies from RSV. It's a new vaccine that the agency says could save the lives of many babies.
Dr. Nicole Heidemann of Centennial Women's Group said the vaccine will work similar to other ones pregnant women typically receive like the flu or Tdap vaccines. "So what can happen is through the placental transfusion to baby where blood passes, as well as through breast milk, you can have mom pass those antibodies to baby," she said.
The CDC says respiratory syncytial virus is the leading cause of hospitalizations for babies in the U.S. The CDC says this new vaccine could reduce the risk of those babies having to be treated in the hospital by 57% in their first six months after birth.
"Babies' immune systems are really poor, but we can really make their immune systems better by having mom be prepared," said Dr. Heidemann.
Expecting mothers would get the vaccine during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy. Last month the CDC recommended a new RSV immunization for babies that has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalizations for infants by about 80%. Most infants will likely only need protection from either the maternal RSV vaccine or infant immunization, but not both.
However, for example, if a baby is born less than two weeks after their mother got the shot, then a doctor may recommend that the baby also get vaccinated.
This month, members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 11-1 to recommend the vaccine. Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot, who is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt, is a member of the committee.
Experts say the vaccine will become more available in the coming weeks. Experts say you should always talk to your healthcare provider about which vaccines you need to stay safe for not only you, but for your children as well.
Elexis Allen said she noticed something was off when her son Orion began vomiting. Soon, his symptoms progressed. "Physically he looked like he was struggling to breathe. He hardly ate at all and he just was blue and purple and pale," she said.
That's when she took him into the hospital and learned Orion had RSV as well as pneumonia and Bronchiolitis.
"It was rough, it was very hard and we had days where we just cried."
Following the news of the RSV vaccine - Allen says it's something she would consider taking in the future. "I think we do need something like that because RSV is scary, it's definitely very scary," she said.
