Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common, contagious seasonal pathogen that will infect nearly all babies by their second birthdays.1,2 RSV is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection, mainly bronchiolitis and pneumonia, in infants and young children, resulting in annual epidemics worldwide.3,4
A Parent’s Perspective: Dina and Winnie’s RSV story
Google searches for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants and young children, reflect a need for parents to access additional information about the disease. Check out our time lapse to see searches over the course of the year in the US and Europe.
Most hospitalizations for RSV occur in otherwise healthy infants born at term5, 6, 7
Understanding the need for RSV protection in all infants
As the world continues to adjust to the changes COVID-19 presents, we have all had to shift our priorities and identify new approaches to operating while keeping communities safe.
Working to Prevent Respiratory Syncytial Virus in All Infants
Sanofi’s Head of Global Medical tells you a bit more about the common virus and how we are working in partnership with AstraZeneca to extend protection to all infants.
There is no cure for RSV disease and treatment is limited to symptomatic relief8
Protecting Infants and Children from RSV
Hear from AstraZeneca’s Tonya Villafana: it is important to reassess our healthcare strategies for all illnesses, including RSV.
References
- https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/high-risk/infants-young-children.html. Accessed September 2019.
- Adamko DJ, Friesen M. Why does respiratory syncytial virus appear to cause asthma? Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2012;130(1):101-102. doi:10.1016/j.ja ci.2012.05.024.
- Shi T, et al. Global, regional, and national disease burden estimates of acute lower respiratory infections due to respiratory syncytial virus in young children in 2015: a systematic review and modelling study. Lancet 2017; 390: 946–58.
- Obando-Pacheco P, et al. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Seasonality: A Global Overview.The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 217(9), 1356–1364. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiy056.
- Arriola, C, et al. “Estimated Burden of Community-Onset Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Associated Hospitalizations Among Children Aged <2 Years in the United States, 2014–15.” Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. 2019.
- Hall CB, et al. Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospitalizations Among Children Less Than 24 Months of Age. Pediatrics, 132(2). doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-0303 14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Rha, B et al. Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Associated Hospitalizations Among Young Children: 2015–2016. Pediatrics: 2020. 146 (1) e20193611; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3611.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): Symptoms and Care. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/symptoms.html. Accessed August 2019.