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URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The FDA approved the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, but it isn’t for everyone just yet. Arexvy is only approved for people sixty and older.
Usually, when we think about RSV, it’s in babies or younger children. But they’re not the only ones who are at high risk. The virus affects the upper airways, lungs, and overall breathing.
Doctors say they have seen a lot of these younger cases during the past season. People aged 65 and above are hit hard as well. 6,000 to 10,000 people in this age group die every year from RSV. Doctors say it’s because older adults, especially those with underlying health conditions, are at risk for severe diseases caused by the virus.
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“They’re really at risk for this and we did, like everywhere else in the country, we saw a lot of people coming into our hospital older people with RSV,” said Robert Healy, M.D., Carle Internal Medicine Physician, “So, even though it’s not as known as a disease that affects old people, it does, and this vaccine will help decrease that risk.”
Healy believes there are ongoing studies with children, but studies for the younger age group generally take more time.
He suggests keeping up with precautions like washing your hands, monitoring who is around young children, and keeping your distance if sick.
