Pediatricians beg for more federal help to fight wave of RSV
WASHINGTON — After two winters spent masked and 6 feet apart, pediatric respiratory viruses have returned with a vengeance, and pediatric hospitals, emergency room doctors and pediatricians are lobbying Congress and the Biden administration to provide more support.
Pediatric hospitals deal with a wave of respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, every year. But this year, the wave of RSV is more like a tsunami, because COVID-19 mitigation measures have driven down immunity among many children. For most children, RSV is mild and does not require hospitalization, but it can be severe, especially in infants and toddlers. There is no vaccine.
