RSV Season Is Starting. Here’s What Families Should Know

As fall begins, another respiratory virus season is getting underway across the United States. Respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, often causes symptoms that feel like a common cold, but the virus can become much more serious for babies, older adults and people with certain health conditions. RSV remains the leading cause of hospitalization among U.S. infants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and nearly every child will get the virus before age 2. In most parts of the country, RSV begins spreading in the fall and usually reaches its highest levels during the winter.

That makes the beginning of the season an important time for families to learn about RSV and prepare for the months ahead. The CDC expects the combined peak in hospitalizations from RSV, flu and COVID-19 during the 2026–27 respiratory virus season to be similar to last season, although the timing and size of each virus wave remain uncertain. RSV has often peaked around late December or early January, but last season was different. The national RSV hospitalization peak occurred during the week ending Feb. 21, 2026, showing why families should think about RSV as a seasonal risk rather than focusing on one specific month.

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The start of RSV season also comes at a time when families have more ways to prevent severe disease than they did only a few years ago. That change is significant because RSV is not a new health threat. Scientists have studied the virus for nearly 70 years, but many of today’s prevention options are relatively new.

We Have Known About RSV for Decades. Prevention Has Changed.

The history of RSV dates to the 1950s, when researchers identified a respiratory virus while investigating cold-like illness in chimpanzees. Scientists soon found closely related viruses in children with respiratory illnesses. Research published in 1957 helped establish RSV as an important cause of respiratory disease in infants and young children. For decades after that discovery, however, preventing severe RSV remained difficult, particularly for the youngest babies.

Families today have more options. For infants, protection can come through an RSV vaccine given during pregnancy or through a long-acting preventive antibody given directly to the baby. Most babies do not need both. CDC recommends maternal RSV vaccination during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy from September through January in most of the continental United States. The antibodies produced by the mother’s immune system can cross the placenta and help protect the baby during the first months after birth.

For babies who need direct protection, long-acting antibodies such as nirsevimab and clesrovimab can help prevent severe RSV disease. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends RSV immunization for infants younger than 8 months who are born during or entering their first RSV season and are not protected through maternal vaccination. Babies born shortly before or during RSV season should receive the immunization within their first week when eligible, ideally before leaving the birth hospital.

Evidence suggests these prevention tools can make a meaningful difference. A recent review cited by AAP News found that nirsevimab was 64% to 93% effective at preventing RSV-related hospitalization. RSV has historically caused about 58,000 to 80,000 hospitalizations each year among children younger than 5 in the United States, according to CDC figures cited by the AAP. CDC also reported that RSV hospitalization rates among infants younger than 8 months during the 2024–25 season were substantially lower in two surveillance networks when compared with pre-pandemic seasons.

Prevention is not limited to babies. Older adults can also become seriously ill from RSV. CDC recommends one RSV vaccine dose for everyone age 75 and older. Adults ages 50 through 74 should also receive a dose if they have an increased risk of severe RSV disease because of certain medical conditions or other factors.

Preparing for RSV Starts Before Someone Gets Sick

Having effective prevention tools does not mean every family has equal access to them. AAP News reported in September that hospitals across the country continue to face challenges providing RSV antibodies to newborns before they leave the hospital. One CDC estimate found that about 65% of infants born since the previous April were protected as of February. Another CDC dataset covering 14 states and Washington, D.C., found antibody coverage among infants younger than 8 months ranging from about 32% to 54%, without accounting for babies protected through maternal vaccination.

Some of those gaps begin with how care is paid for. RSV antibody products cost about $500 per dose, according to AAP News. Birth hospitalizations are often covered through bundled insurance payments that may not include these products unless hospitals negotiate a different payment arrangement with insurers. Some hospitals may therefore have difficulty offering the antibody before discharge even though insurance may cover it later in an outpatient setting. Access through the federal Vaccines for Children program also varies. CDC data cited by AAP News showed that only 36% of birthing hospitals were enrolled as Vaccines for Children providers as of spring 2025.

These barriers can have greater consequences for families who already have trouble getting consistent healthcare. A family may live far from a pediatrician, lack reliable transportation, struggle to take time away from work or have difficulty finding a practice that stocks the RSV antibody. AAP News described some of these challenges in rural communities, where babies who do not receive protection at the hospital may not return quickly enough to a provider who carries the product. As one pediatrician told AAP News, “RSV doesn’t wait.”

Racial differences in RSV prevention coverage also deserve attention. CDC data from the 2025–26 season showed that 41.6% of pregnant women in its Vaccine Safety Datalink had received an RSV vaccine by Jan. 31, 2026. Coverage among non-Hispanic Black pregnant women was 29%, the lowest level reported among the racial and ethnic groups measured. Those numbers alone do not explain why the gap exists, but they show why access to clear information, trusted healthcare providers and prevention options remains an important health equity issue.

For expecting parents, preparation can therefore begin before the baby arrives. During a prenatal appointment, families can ask how their newborn will be protected from RSV, whether maternal vaccination is appropriate and whether the hospital where they plan to deliver provides an RSV antibody to eligible newborns. Asking those questions ahead of time may be particularly useful because the best prevention plan can depend on when the baby is born, whether the mother received an RSV vaccine during pregnancy and what services are available at the birth hospital.

That approach is also at the center of the National Minority Quality Forum’s Protect From Day One campaign. The campaign encourages expecting parents to learn about RSV during pregnancy and discuss prevention with their healthcare provider before delivery. ProtectFromDayOne.org provides information and resources that families can use to prepare for those conversations. The goal is not for parents to navigate insurance policies or complicated medical guidelines on their own. It is to help them know that prevention options exist and give them questions they can bring to a trusted healthcare professional.

Families can also reduce the spread of RSV and other respiratory viruses through everyday prevention. RSV can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, through direct contact and from contaminated surfaces. Washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, improving indoor air and avoiding close contact with others when sick can help reduce transmission. Families should also recognize signs that an illness may need medical attention. RSV can cause congestion, coughing, fever, wheezing and decreased appetite, while very young babies may become less active, irritable or have difficulty breathing.

Nearly 70 years after researchers first identified RSV, the virus remains a serious seasonal threat, but the choices available to families have changed. Vaccination during pregnancy, preventive antibodies for babies and vaccination for eligible older adults have created new opportunities to prevent severe illness. The challenge now is making sure families know those options exist and can access them when they need them.

As RSV season begins, awareness is most useful when it leads to preparation. For expecting parents, that can start before their baby is born with a simple conversation about what protection will be available from day one.

Learn More: https://protectfromdayone.org/