RSV infections are on the rise in certain regions of the United States, causing a significant increase in patient numbers at hospital emergency departments in states such as Georgia, Texas, and others.

In an effort to combat the increase, government officials announced on Thursday that they would be distributing additional quantities of a recently developed RSV vaccine for newborns, which has been limited in availability.

Experts have stated that although the number of reported cases of the seasonal virus is increasing across the country, it is not anticipated to cause the same high levels of patient influx as seen in the previous autumn, when hospitals were inundated with ill children experiencing wheezing.

However, according to Dr. Meredith McMorrow, an RSV specialist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is a possibility for an increase in cases across different regions of the country, with some areas experiencing more severe infections.

Dr. Laura Romano of Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas has noticed an increase in the amount of time children and their parents spend waiting in the emergency department. According to Romano, children are now arriving at the hospital in a more severe condition and requiring more oxygen than in previous years.

“According to the speaker, there were 25 children waiting in the emergency room last week who required beds on the upper floor, with five of them needing to be sent to the intensive care unit. Unfortunately, there were no available beds for them.”

Dr. Jim Fortenberry, the chief medical officer of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, reported that the hospital system is currently experiencing a surge in patients due to RSV, placing strain on its staff.

Fortenberry stated that our emergency departments and urgent cares are experiencing high levels of activity. He also mentioned that pediatricians’ offices are also experiencing high levels of activity.

Unfortunately, the recently released vaccinations for protecting infants from RSV have been challenging to obtain, resulting in limited use of this new medical tool.

Fortenberry stated that there was a shortage, which was unfortunately going to hinder the assistance that was expected to be provided. Children’s organization is also experiencing this shortage.

Respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, is a frequent source of mild symptoms resembling a cold, including a runny nose, cough, and fever.

However, it can pose a risk for both infants and elderly individuals. According to the CDC, RSV is responsible for 100 to 300 fatalities and 58,000 to 80,000 hospitalizations annually for children under the age of 4. The CDC also reports that RSV is the primary cause of hospitalizations for infants in the United States.

According to the CDC, the toll is higher in adults aged 65 and above, resulting in 6,000 to 10,000 deaths and 60,000 to 160,000 hospitalizations.

During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decrease in cases of RSV infections, likely due to the increased number of individuals, both children and adults, who remained at home and took measures to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses.

However, it made a strong comeback in the previous year. Medical facilities were inundated with young patients experiencing wheezing, requiring oxygen supplementation or mechanical ventilation. According to McMorrow from the CDC, this wave was exacerbated by increases in other respiratory viruses that often co-infected children and exacerbated their symptoms.

There are currently other viruses in circulation as well. While data on RSV is limited, the available information indicates that diagnoses in certain states, such as Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia, are similar to those of last year. Texas has also experienced a significant increase in cases, according to the data.

McMorrow stated that there are indications that the virus is reaching its peak in certain states. Across the country, RSV detections are currently only half of what they were in November of last year.

According to the data, officials from the CDC predict that this season will not be as severe as the previous one and will be similar to typical RSV seasons before the COVID-19 outbreak.

Authorities now have additional strategies to combat RSV, such as administering a specific vaccine for individuals aged 60 and above, as well as a separate one for expectant mothers.

The CDC advised in August that infants under 8 months of age, prior to their first RSV season, should receive a new injection of artificially produced antibodies.

The medication, known as Beyfortus, was created by AstraZeneca and Sanofi and is available in pre-filled syringes in two sizes – one for smaller infants and a larger dosage for larger, heavier infants.

However, there is currently a higher demand for vaccines than the supply available. As a result, the CDC requested last month that doctors prioritize administering doses to infants who are at the greatest risk of developing severe RSV disease.

Some doctors were hesitant to order a large number of syringes at a list price of $400 to $500 per dose, as they wanted to be sure that insurance programs would cover the cost. This was according to Dr. James Campbell, an expert in pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Maryland.

According to him, certain healthcare providers have greater availability of the product due to the larger orders placed by doctors.

The CDC reported on Thursday that doctors and hospitals would receive over 77,000 extra doses of the larger sized shots.

According to Campbell, the vice chair of an American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious diseases, upcoming RSV seasons may show improvement.

“He mentioned that until now, we had no measures in place to stop RSV.”

___

Hunter provided an update from Atlanta.

___

The Health and Science Department of the Associated Press is backed by the Science and Educational Media Group of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is fully accountable for all of its content.