The CDC advises RSV vaccination during pregnancy to safeguard newborns

On Friday, the CDC advised pregnant women to get an RSV vaccine at 32 to 36 weeks to safeguard their newborns.

The injection was recommended 11-1 by an agency advisory group. CDC Director Mandy Cohen then approved that suggestion, allowing the vaccine to be distributed.

Pfizer's Abrysvo single-dose shot is FDA-approved. It stimulates maternal antibody synthesis that crosses the placenta. The first RSV vaccination for newborns is approved.

The CDC recommends the new vaccine for pregnant women from September through January, when RSV incidence are highest.

CDC data shows more RSV cases currently than in mid-August.

This summer, an injectable medication that delivers antibodies directly to an infant's bloodstream was licensed for RSV protection.

All babies up to 8 months old born during or entering their first RSV season and infants 8 to 19 months old at increased risk of severe sickness and into their second season should get Beyfortus, according to the CDC.

Friday, the CDC advisory group stated either injection can protect infants, and most won't require both.

The vaccination protects kids soon after delivery without an injection. However, the antibody injection does not risk bad pregnancy outcomes, and some research suggests its protection wanes slowly.

In Pfizer's experiment, pregnant women reported exhaustion, headache, injection site pain, muscle pain, nausea, joint pain, and diarrhea most often.

Abrysvo is projected to cost $295, although insurance plans will determine prices. Under the CDC's Vaccines for Children Program, uninsured, underinsured, Medicare-eligible, and Native American or Alaska Native children receive some vaccines and immunizations for free.

Pharmacy shelves now include two new RSV vaccines for persons 60 and older, who are also susceptible to severe sickness. The new pregnancy shot is based on a Pfizer shot.