Seven Things to Share with Your Patients About the Maternal RSV Vaccine

Download as a PDF

1. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes severe respiratory illness in more than 50,000 children each year; it may be life-threatening for infants from birth to 6 months.


2. Maternal RSV vaccine (also known as RSVpreF vaccine or Abrysvo by Pfizer) is recommended for pregnant people between 32 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks of gestation between September and January.


3. There is also a monoclonal antibody, nirsevimab, available for infants at birth to prevent RSV lower respiratory tract infections. Nirsevimab is recommended for newborns and young infants whose mothers did not receive the RSV vaccine during their pregnancy, or who were born within 14 days of maternal receipt of the RSV vaccine.
   • For the 2023–2024 RSV season, there is a limited supply of the monoclonal antibody for newborns. This limited supply should be a key component of conversations and decision making with patients regarding maternal vaccination. Maternal vaccination should be encouraged, particularly in areas where the monoclonal antibody is limited or unavailable.
4. Most babies born to mothers who received the RSV vaccine during pregnancy do not need nirsevimab.
   • Patients should be encouraged to tell their newborn’s pediatrician if and when they received the RSV vaccine during their pregnancy.
   • Documenting in the patient’s health record and the immunization information system, and giving documentation to the patient are also ways to communicate their vaccination status.
5. The RSV vaccine clinical trial included more than 7,000 pregnant participants and showed the following:
   • The vaccine reduced medically attended lower respiratory tract infection among newborns by about 70%.
   • There were more preterm births in the vaccine group than the placebo, but this increase was seen only in low-income country participants and was not significant. Therefore, available data are insufficient to establish or exclude a causal relationship between maternal RSV vaccination and preterm birth.
   • Side effects were mild and included pain at the injection site, headache, muscle pain, and nausea.
6. There are no studies comparing the efficacy of maternal vaccination to the efficacy of newborn or infant monoclonal antibody immunization. Each prevention measure has been shown to be safe and effective in their respective clinical trials. The decision to receive the vaccine during pregnancy or wait for the monoclonal antibody (nirsevimab) after birth should be based on a conversation between the patient and health care professional including consideration for nirsevimab availability.


7. Co-administration of the maternal RSV vaccine with other maternal vaccines, such as Tdap, influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines, is permissible.