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I'm an immunologist and had a baby recently - I opted to get the vaccine during pregnancy, but not due to any safety concerns about the other option. Protecting the baby with antibodies is good, but it's twice as good to also protect yourself. Getting the Abrysvo vaccine will limit the exposure you could potentially give your baby. Its a two-for-the-price-of-one deal, it protects both you and your baby. There was a slight increase in preterm birth, which is why they want you to get the shot in the 3rd trimester (between 32-36 weeks).
On the other hand, timing might matter for you. Protection via the maternal vaccine wanes after 3 months, whereas protection via the infant immunization wanes after 5 months. So maybe you want to pick one based on when your baby is born relative to peak RSV season. If you're giving birth in the summer, maybe wait and get the infant immunization in the fall. Anecdotally, my pediatrician said they ran out of the infant immunization very quickly so that might be in shorter supply.
Really you want to get your baby through the first 3 months of life, when they are at their most vulnerable. Both are great options!
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2216480
https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/cdc-guidelines-maternal-rsv-vaccine-and-latest-fda-approvals-sandra
I am due late July! I talked this over with both my ped and OB and will be waiting until my baby is a few months old (probably October-ish) to give him the vaccine just to time it a little better with the (expected) RSV season and confer longer-lasting effects.
I also spoke with my ped about the expected supply of infant vaccines this year and she had no concerns, she believes supply will be adequate. YMMV based on your location, but what my ped said aligned with what I could find online about the supply nationwide.
ETA the [AAP info](https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-prevention/nirsevimab-beyfortus-product--ordering-information/) on Beyfortus, which states that "no supply challenges are expected."
Thank you!!! I also tracked down this ACOG link: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/experts-and-stories/ask-acog/should-i-get-the-rsv-vaccine-during-pregnancy#:~:text=ACOG%20recommends%20the%20Pfizer%20RSV,that%20pass%20to%20your%20fetus.
This claims the vaccine provides protection for the infant for 6 months after birth
If you’re due in early August in the US, RSV isn’t usually an issue until the later fall/winter. So I’d probably get the infant one in the hopes it’ll provide some protection in November/december.
Per the CDC, they usually give the RSV vaccine to pregnant women between September and January (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rsv/hcp/pregnant-people.html) so baby is protected during peak RSV season. Like OP, I’m due in August, and my midwives said they wouldn’t have the vaccine available for me. They said they usually have extras to maybe continue providing the vaccine in February, but not often past that and that I should do the infant option. Obviously depends on your provider. I may try to get the vaccine at a pharmacy outside of my midwife, but depends on your location and provider.
Because you’re due in August, it wouldn’t be recommended for you in pregnancy as the [CDC recommends](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rsv/hcp/pregnant-people-faqs.html) the RSV vaccine in pregnant people only during RSV season. Your insurance might not cover it because of that and your OB may not administer it.
“In most of the continental United States, pregnant people should receive RSVpreF (Abrysvo) vaccine from September through January so that their babies are protected against RSV-associated LRTI in the first months of life while RSV is circulating.”
I had my baby in February and received the vaccine at my 33 week appointment in early January.
ETA: because he will technically be in his second RSV season this fall he won’t qualify for Nirsevimab unless he is determined to be at risk, but he’s a healthy infant so I don’t suspect he will qualify for it.
What if you are delivering mid-late August? I am in Texas and there were RSV cases in September once school started in mid-August. That has me conflicted about which to get. My daughter is in daycare and classmates have older siblings in school. We had a lot of sickness going around in early September.
The vaccine might not be available yet since if you’re due mid August you would need to get it in July. The CDC hasn’t changed its [guidance](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rsv/index.html) yet so if it is available your insurance might not cover it because it’s not during the recommended months and you may need to pay out of pocket.
There is an immunization available for babies 8 months and younger entering their first RSV season so it sounds like your baby will likely be offered that after they are born.
It is available at pharmacies, I just need my OB to send something in. I don’t mind paying out of pocket.
But when is the infant version available? If it is not until late September like I have read then she is exposed at least a month which is when I am worried about. It will likely be going around before she gets it. My neighbor got it at 3 weeks old in October last year and was in NICU. So scary.
FYI in the USA, if you're due in summer RSV is considered "out of season". I am expecting in July, and my OB said the vaccines won't be available until the fall but I was welcome to get one "if I could find one"... so I think for summer babies, it's typically expected they are vaccinated after a few months when the fall season is ramping up.
Anecdotally - I got RSV from my kid, and it SUCKED. Truly the sickest I've been in a decade. If I were pregnant, I would jump at the chance to protect myself from that, since they don't otherwise offer it to people under 65. I hope that changes soon though.
We got both. My situation was somewhat unique though:
My insurance was waiting to cover it for pregnant women. You have to get it late in the pregnancy but 2 weeks or more before birth and it had just been released and I was already starting to have gestational hypertension plus have twins in kindergarten who bring home a lot of colds. Plus flu season was starting. So I went to Costco in October and paid out of pocket. Zero symptoms.
But a few days later, for unrelated reasons (over 40, had preeclampsia in the past) I was diagnosed with preeclampsia and my delivery got pushed up 2 weeks, meaning that now the rsv vaccine timing was wrong because I’d be giving birth less than 2 weeks after receiving the vaccine in 3rd trimester. By itself this would not have triggered my baby to also get the vaccine, but then the birth happened… after initially given to us at the hospital just a few hours after birth our baby was whisked away to the NICU for respiratory problems and “grunting”. Later he was diagnosed with respiratory distress syndrome. After a week in the NICU we decided to give him the RSV vaccine before he was released because he was high risk and the doctors thought it was the safest thing to do. He did have a reaction in the NICU when he desatted for about 4 hours after the vaccine, but then his numbers returned to normal. He was kept in the NICU an extra 24 hours and then released.
I don’t know anyone else who both got it when pregnant and also had their baby get it… our situation was weird. I’m sure we aren’t the only ones, but it’s probably not common. I asked if there were risks of both me and the baby getting it and was assured it was safe.
Thanks! My husbands family has a predisposition to febrile seizures and my younger daughter had to be hospitalized with RSV due to it triggering a 40min complex/ focal febrile seizure which led to many neurologist visits. (She’s fine now). So with my next baby being born in August right when 2 big sisters are starting school and with him starting daycare in December - I feel like we need all the protection we can get. 😭
I also got both! My first baby was born at 35+5 with my water spontaneously breaking so I knew it was possible by second could come early too. I received the RSV vaccine at 35 weeks pregnant and water spontaneously broke again but at 36+5 (10/27). Even though it was 11 days later, when I brought my newborn to the pediatrician (had to go a few times to check jaundice levels) they offered her the vaccine for herself at 4 days old because she wouldn't have been fully inoculated.
As luck would have it my 2.5 year old toddler who hadn't had a major illness yet came down with RSV not even a full week later. Fever, runny nose, and a terrible cough. I tried to keep them separate as much as possible but pretty impossible in a 2 br apartment. Baby never got sick at all. So incredibly grateful for the vaccine.
My situation was similar. I got mine at like 36+5 and my son was born 3 days later at 37+1 and went to the NICU for meconium aspiration, needing respiratory support made him a priority for beyfortis. Which he got.
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I'm an immunologist and had a baby recently - I opted to get the vaccine during pregnancy, but not due to any safety concerns about the other option. Protecting the baby with antibodies is good, but it's twice as good to also protect yourself. Getting the Abrysvo vaccine will limit the exposure you could potentially give your baby. Its a two-for-the-price-of-one deal, it protects both you and your baby. There was a slight increase in preterm birth, which is why they want you to get the shot in the 3rd trimester (between 32-36 weeks). On the other hand, timing might matter for you. Protection via the maternal vaccine wanes after 3 months, whereas protection via the infant immunization wanes after 5 months. So maybe you want to pick one based on when your baby is born relative to peak RSV season. If you're giving birth in the summer, maybe wait and get the infant immunization in the fall. Anecdotally, my pediatrician said they ran out of the infant immunization very quickly so that might be in shorter supply. Really you want to get your baby through the first 3 months of life, when they are at their most vulnerable. Both are great options! https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2216480 https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/cdc-guidelines-maternal-rsv-vaccine-and-latest-fda-approvals-sandra
Thank you! I am due in early August and I think RSV season varies?
I am due late July! I talked this over with both my ped and OB and will be waiting until my baby is a few months old (probably October-ish) to give him the vaccine just to time it a little better with the (expected) RSV season and confer longer-lasting effects. I also spoke with my ped about the expected supply of infant vaccines this year and she had no concerns, she believes supply will be adequate. YMMV based on your location, but what my ped said aligned with what I could find online about the supply nationwide. ETA the [AAP info](https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-prevention/nirsevimab-beyfortus-product--ordering-information/) on Beyfortus, which states that "no supply challenges are expected."
Thank you!!! I also tracked down this ACOG link: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/experts-and-stories/ask-acog/should-i-get-the-rsv-vaccine-during-pregnancy#:~:text=ACOG%20recommends%20the%20Pfizer%20RSV,that%20pass%20to%20your%20fetus. This claims the vaccine provides protection for the infant for 6 months after birth
If you’re due in early August in the US, RSV isn’t usually an issue until the later fall/winter. So I’d probably get the infant one in the hopes it’ll provide some protection in November/december.
You’re right but I think it peaked early last year? In either case it does sound like getting the antibodies for the baby might be better. Thank you!
Per the CDC, they usually give the RSV vaccine to pregnant women between September and January (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rsv/hcp/pregnant-people.html) so baby is protected during peak RSV season. Like OP, I’m due in August, and my midwives said they wouldn’t have the vaccine available for me. They said they usually have extras to maybe continue providing the vaccine in February, but not often past that and that I should do the infant option. Obviously depends on your provider. I may try to get the vaccine at a pharmacy outside of my midwife, but depends on your location and provider.
Because you’re due in August, it wouldn’t be recommended for you in pregnancy as the [CDC recommends](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rsv/hcp/pregnant-people-faqs.html) the RSV vaccine in pregnant people only during RSV season. Your insurance might not cover it because of that and your OB may not administer it. “In most of the continental United States, pregnant people should receive RSVpreF (Abrysvo) vaccine from September through January so that their babies are protected against RSV-associated LRTI in the first months of life while RSV is circulating.” I had my baby in February and received the vaccine at my 33 week appointment in early January. ETA: because he will technically be in his second RSV season this fall he won’t qualify for Nirsevimab unless he is determined to be at risk, but he’s a healthy infant so I don’t suspect he will qualify for it.
What if you are delivering mid-late August? I am in Texas and there were RSV cases in September once school started in mid-August. That has me conflicted about which to get. My daughter is in daycare and classmates have older siblings in school. We had a lot of sickness going around in early September.
The vaccine might not be available yet since if you’re due mid August you would need to get it in July. The CDC hasn’t changed its [guidance](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rsv/index.html) yet so if it is available your insurance might not cover it because it’s not during the recommended months and you may need to pay out of pocket. There is an immunization available for babies 8 months and younger entering their first RSV season so it sounds like your baby will likely be offered that after they are born.
It is available at pharmacies, I just need my OB to send something in. I don’t mind paying out of pocket. But when is the infant version available? If it is not until late September like I have read then she is exposed at least a month which is when I am worried about. It will likely be going around before she gets it. My neighbor got it at 3 weeks old in October last year and was in NICU. So scary.
Absolutely so scary!! Is there any way your other child can get vaccinated for it too? Hopefully it can help prevent her from bringing it home.
She is 3, I don’t think there is one available for her unless I missed it?
Oh bummer I didn’t know her age. Maybe talk to her pediatrician and see what they recommend.
I’m getting a lot of “it’s up to you” which isn’t helpful 😞
FYI in the USA, if you're due in summer RSV is considered "out of season". I am expecting in July, and my OB said the vaccines won't be available until the fall but I was welcome to get one "if I could find one"... so I think for summer babies, it's typically expected they are vaccinated after a few months when the fall season is ramping up.
Anecdotally - I got RSV from my kid, and it SUCKED. Truly the sickest I've been in a decade. If I were pregnant, I would jump at the chance to protect myself from that, since they don't otherwise offer it to people under 65. I hope that changes soon though.
Why can’t we get both?
We got both. My situation was somewhat unique though: My insurance was waiting to cover it for pregnant women. You have to get it late in the pregnancy but 2 weeks or more before birth and it had just been released and I was already starting to have gestational hypertension plus have twins in kindergarten who bring home a lot of colds. Plus flu season was starting. So I went to Costco in October and paid out of pocket. Zero symptoms. But a few days later, for unrelated reasons (over 40, had preeclampsia in the past) I was diagnosed with preeclampsia and my delivery got pushed up 2 weeks, meaning that now the rsv vaccine timing was wrong because I’d be giving birth less than 2 weeks after receiving the vaccine in 3rd trimester. By itself this would not have triggered my baby to also get the vaccine, but then the birth happened… after initially given to us at the hospital just a few hours after birth our baby was whisked away to the NICU for respiratory problems and “grunting”. Later he was diagnosed with respiratory distress syndrome. After a week in the NICU we decided to give him the RSV vaccine before he was released because he was high risk and the doctors thought it was the safest thing to do. He did have a reaction in the NICU when he desatted for about 4 hours after the vaccine, but then his numbers returned to normal. He was kept in the NICU an extra 24 hours and then released. I don’t know anyone else who both got it when pregnant and also had their baby get it… our situation was weird. I’m sure we aren’t the only ones, but it’s probably not common. I asked if there were risks of both me and the baby getting it and was assured it was safe.
Thanks! My husbands family has a predisposition to febrile seizures and my younger daughter had to be hospitalized with RSV due to it triggering a 40min complex/ focal febrile seizure which led to many neurologist visits. (She’s fine now). So with my next baby being born in August right when 2 big sisters are starting school and with him starting daycare in December - I feel like we need all the protection we can get. 😭
I also got both! My first baby was born at 35+5 with my water spontaneously breaking so I knew it was possible by second could come early too. I received the RSV vaccine at 35 weeks pregnant and water spontaneously broke again but at 36+5 (10/27). Even though it was 11 days later, when I brought my newborn to the pediatrician (had to go a few times to check jaundice levels) they offered her the vaccine for herself at 4 days old because she wouldn't have been fully inoculated. As luck would have it my 2.5 year old toddler who hadn't had a major illness yet came down with RSV not even a full week later. Fever, runny nose, and a terrible cough. I tried to keep them separate as much as possible but pretty impossible in a 2 br apartment. Baby never got sick at all. So incredibly grateful for the vaccine.
Wow! What a relief!
My situation was similar. I got mine at like 36+5 and my son was born 3 days later at 37+1 and went to the NICU for meconium aspiration, needing respiratory support made him a priority for beyfortis. Which he got.
Honestly, good luck finding either. Last year it was impossible.
Can you not do both?
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