The News
US hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus are down by about half from this time last year, likely thanks to a new vaccine and an antiviral drug.
RSV is the biggest US cause of infant hospitalization, with an estimated 58,000 to 80,000 under-fives taken in for treatment each year, most during fall and winter.
But this season was different, Ars Technica reported: Compared with the 2018-20 average, newborn hospitalizations fell 45% in one dataset and 52% in another, with smaller but comparable falls in older infants. The change is thought to be due to the introduction of a vaccine given to pregnant women in their third trimester and a new monoclonal antibody drug given to babies under eight months.
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