How many infants are getting new RSV protection? A first look.

Last fall, a new season began with a crucial difference: for the first time, doctors had tools to protect the youngest babies from RSV. Parents could either get a new antibody shot for their infant after birth or get vaccinated themselves during pregnancy to pass on protection. A new report takes a first look at how many infants born from October 2023 through March 2024 in the United States received one of these forms of immunization. The report does not share the actual coverage numbers, safety information, or how well the protection worked. It simply marks the start of tracking this important public health effort. Since this is an early observational report, it doesn't tell us why some families might have gotten the protection and others didn't, or what the barriers to access might be. It's a starting point for understanding how these new tools are being used to guard babies against a serious virus.