What you need to know about the RSV vaccine during pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you may need to wrap your arms around the shot again – very important. American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsIt will open a new window (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women receive the RSV vaccine during their third trimester.

Getting the shot at the right time will protect your child from serious diseases in infancy.

What is the RSV vaccine?

The vaccine, called Abrysvo, helps protect newborns from RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), a respiratory infection that can be very dangerous for babies.

When you are vaccinated during pregnancy, you pass the antibodies to your baby through the placenta.

“The vaccine uses specific parts of RSV to create an immune response,” says Chandani DeZure.It will open a new windowMD, pediatrician, neonatal and pediatric clinic, and member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. “When the mother is expecting, those antibodies are passed on to the baby.”

This protection lasts for about the first six months of your child’s life, when he is most vulnerable.

But the vaccine is recommended only if you are between 32 and 36 weeks pregnant during the RSV season (usually September to January). If you are past 36 weeks, there will be no time for the antibodies to form and cross the uterus to your baby.

“Ask your doctor if you’re eligible for the vaccine and how to get it — especially if you’re pregnant or will have a baby this RSV season,” says Dr. DeZure.

Why is the RSV vaccine for women so important?

Although most children are only mildly affected by RSV, it can also cause serious illnesses, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

In fact, according to the American Academy of PediatricsIt will open a new window (AAP), RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization for infants in the United States. Each year in the US, an estimated 58,000 to 80,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized for the disease. These babies may need oxygen, IV fluids, and/or mechanical ventilation to help them breathe.

Those most at risk include:

• Babies under 12 months (especially 6 months old)
• Premature babies
• Children with health problems, weakened immune systems, or chronic illnesses

According to ACOGIt will open a new windowGetting the RSV vaccine during pregnancy reduces the baby’s risk of getting severe RSV in the first trimester by 81%.

BabyCenter Community Member MKRN89 is a NICU nurse who plans to get an RSV shot while pregnant. “Of all the viruses that a baby can get, RSV scares me the most,” she says. “My daughter will be in kindergarten this fall, so it’s inevitable for us – knowing that the child is protected from serious diseases will give me extra peace of mind.”

And BabyCenter Community member devouTTT remembers when her first child was hospitalized with RSV after starting daycare at 3.5 months old. With this pregnancy, she says, “she will get everything to help her immune system.”

Want more information about health and wellness during pregnancy and what vaccines are recommended for you? Find articles and advice from experts, as well as advice from other parents, in the BabyCenter appIt will open a new window.

What is Abrysvo?

Abrysvo is an RSV vaccine made by Pfizer. Although there are other RSV vaccines out there, only Abrysvo is approved and recommended for pregnant women.

“Abrysvo, which became available for pregnant women in August 2023, is an exciting development in the fight against RSV,” says Dr. DeZure.

The vaccine was first approved for adults 60 years of age and older and is now also recommended for pregnant women. It is a one-dose shot, and it is not known whether women will need another dose during pregnancy. (It is not recommended that you repeat the vaccination if you received a previous pregnancy.)

But antibodies, the proteins that fight RSV infection, take several weeks to form, and they don’t last long. This is why vaccinations must be administered at the right time.

If the mother in the third trimester – but at least two weeks before the birth – takes Abrysvo, the newborn is protected during the first six months of life.

Who should receive the maternal RSV vaccine during pregnancy?

All eligible women should receive the RSV vaccine during pregnancy, says Dr. DeZure. You can get the RSV vaccine at the same time you get your Tdap, COVID-19, and flu vaccines, if that schedule applies.

In some cases, high-risk pregnant women may not be eligible for the vaccine, so talk to your provider about getting the shot if you’re at high risk.

“Of course I’ll be getting the RSV vaccine,” said BabyCenter Community Tanklet member. “Nothing scares me more than the thought of my children being seriously ill. Anything I can do to protect them, I will.”

What are the side effects of the RSV vaccine?

The side effects are usually mild and have the same side effects as other vaccines:

• Head
• Pain at the injection site
• Sore muscles
• Nausea

Are there any risks associated with the RSV vaccine?

There are no proven risks for Pfizer’s vaccine (Abrysvo), although there have been concerns about the vaccine and premature birth.

After clinical trialsIt will open a new window including nearly 7,000 pregnant women demonstrated the vaccine’s safety, Food & Drug AdministrationIt will open a new window (FDA) approved Pfizer’s RSV vaccine.

But, the FDA says, there was a slight increase in preeclampsia and stillbirth in women who received Abrysvo compared to women who received placebo. Among women who received the vaccine, 1.8% had preeclampsia compared to 1.4% of pregnant women who did not receive the vaccine. And 5.7% of the births in those who received Abrysvo were premature, compared to 4.7% in the placebo group.

Although the FDA found the relationship weak, it asked the company to continue studying the link between the vaccine and premature births and preeclampsia. Also, to be safe, the FDA has limited its use to the third trimester (when it may be safe if the baby is born prematurely). Another reason to get vaccinated during pregnancy is so that the vaccine’s protection lasts long after your baby is born.

So far, studies have shown that the Abrysvo vaccine is safe for pregnant women. For example, a lessonIt will open a new window About 3,000 pregnant women who gave birth at or after 32 weeks’ gestation found no association between Abrysvo vaccine and premature birth or other birth complications.

Will my child also need to receive the RSV Beyfortus antibody?

No, to protect your baby from RSV, you usually need to get vaccinated about two weeks before birth or give your baby an RSV antibody called Beyfortus (nirsevimab). If you received this vaccine during pregnancy, your baby should receive Beyfortus.

AAP recommends BeyfortusIt will open a new window for babies less than 8 months old and for high-risk children and children under two years of age. The shot is given in advance of the high RSV season.

Beyfortus is not a vaccine. It is a monoclonal antibody, meaning a lab-made protein that stimulates the body’s immune system to fight the virus. They protect young children for five months.

Note: A different monoclonal antibody, called palivizumab, is available for children 24 months of age or younger who have conditions that put them at high risk for RSV.