Welcome back to another Contemporary Pediatrics Peer Exchange series. In this episode titled "RSV Epidemiology: Understanding Regional Trends and At-Risk Pediatric Populations," moderator Flor M. Munoz, MD, MSc, discusses respiratory syncytial virus with C. Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, Eric Simões, MD, and Tina Tan, MD, FAAP, FIDSA, FPIDS.
In this episode, Dr. Simões broadens the conversation on RSV risk to include older adults and a global perspective on disease burden. He explains that while pediatric risk factors center largely on medical conditions (as described by Dr. Creech), environmental and behavioral factors — such as daycare attendance, household crowding, and maternal smoking — also play an important role in children, particularly in lower-resource settings where malnutrition adds further vulnerability.
Learn why RSV hits older adults hardest: cumulative comorbidities, global seasonality shifts, and how timing shapes vaccines and prophylaxis.
Why skipping viral tests harms care: targeted RSV, flu, and COVID diagnosis guides prognosis, parent counseling, and prevention in infants.
Why viral testing matters in infants: RSV, flu and more guide prognosis, parent counseling, and prevention—despite cost and reimbursement hurdles.
Learn how maternal vaccination and new RSV antibodies protect infants—timing, dosing, and seasonal guidance to prevent hospitalizations.
Compare maternal RSV vaccination vs long-acting antibodies: breast milk IgA, half-life tradeoffs, and little herd protection.
Maternal RSV vaccination and monoclonal antibodies protect infants differently, from breastfeeding IgA transfer to long-acting antibodies—plus what trial data reveals.
