October 11, 2023 – Recent advances in the sector of immunology have given healthcare providers and their patients latest tools to combat a potentially deadly respiratory disease that primarily affects older adults. And no, it's not COVID-19.
Health authorities estimate that just about every American will develop into infected with a minimum of a gentle type of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in some unspecified time in the future of their lives. The disease will be life-threatening for infants and young children and will also be dangerous for older adults.
Each 12 months, 60,000 to 160,000 adults over 65 are hospitalized for RSV. up to 10,000 deadIn May, the FDA the first RSV vaccine approved for adults over 60 years.
Then, in July, the FDA a vaccine for infants approved and for expectant mothers within the thirty second to thirty sixth week of pregnancy. There are 58,000 to 80,000 hospital admissions for youngsters under 5 years of age annually.
Doctors are urging adults over 60 with health problems to get vaccinated against RSV as we move toward what is usually referred to as Cold and flu season, but now includes 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 are to debate the RSV, COVID-19 and flu vaccines.
Awareness and understanding of RSV have increased lately. During the COVID pandemic, health care providers began doing more respiratory testing, Yadegar said. Advances in medicine allowed experts to raised determine what’s a chilly and what’s RSV.
Similar to a chilly, RSV generally causes mild symptoms that subside after one to two weeksBut just like the flu, RSV can pose significant risks to older and fewer healthy people.
The vaccine doesn’t pose any serious risks. Reactions include the standard 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 recommend that they get vaccinated,” said Dr. Paul Auwaerter, clinical director of infectious diseases on the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, of patients 60 and older with underlying health problems.
He classifies RSV as “one of the three major” respiratory diseases after COVID and the flu.
“It is still a preventable disease that can potentially be influenced by vaccination, so I strongly recommend it,” Auwaerter said.