The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Dr. Ben Hagopian is a direct primary care family physician in South Portland.
In my exam room, new parents ask one question more than almost any other: How can I best protect my baby?
As conversations about vaccines continue at the national and state level, it’s important not to lose sight of what matters most: keeping children healthy. In Maine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages families to ask questions and rely on medical guidance they can trust. As a doctor, that’s my role.
When parents ask which vaccines and protections their child needs, I always start with one especially important step for families expecting a newborn: protection against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
RSV is a serious respiratory virus that poses serious health risks to children, especially babies in their first year. After the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, Maine, much like the rest of the country, saw a concerning spike in RSV. During that time, some pediatric hospitals in our state reported 85 to 90 percent occupancy.
Severe RSV is most common in young babies, with 2% to 3% of infants under 6 months being hospitalized each year due to the virus. But it’s not just the short-term effects that are concerning. The virus changes lung function and has long-term health implications, including a heightened risk of childhood asthma.
Thankfully, RSV is now largely preventable. We have safe and effective immunizations, which can be given to either mom or baby, that prevent serious infection and hospitalization. And clinical studies show that the FDA-approved RSV immunizations help protect babies by significantly reducing RSV-related lower respiratory tract infections and hospitalizations.
But beyond the statistics, this means fewer babies in the hospital with a terrifying respiratory illness.
We cannot become complacent in the face of this success. Newborn babies must be protected from RSV. To clarify any lingering confusion, the Department of Health and Human Services’ most recent recommendation aligns with the consensus of doctors and other medical professionals.
If your baby is born before the RSV season, which spans from October through March, they should be immunized a few weeks prior to the start of the season. If your baby is born during the RSV season, whether that be in October or January, they should receive protection within the first week of birth. For moms who would prefer to receive a vaccine themselves during pregnancy, that is another great option.
Following these guidelines will ensure that during the RSV season, your baby will be the most protected from serious infection and hospitalization.
The science on RSV immunization is clear. It is safe and it works. Here in Maine and across the country, we have a chance to protect every eligible baby from a serious illness. As a doctor, my message is simple: Let’s keep our littlest patients safe, healthy, and thriving.
