From The First Breath to the Golden Years: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prevention in Infants and Older Adults

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common respiratory infections observed in primary care. Although many think of RSV as a ‘common cold’, it is a serious health threat to certain populations, including children, particularly infants who are 6 months of age or younger, those with comorbidities, and older adults. With the increasing number of options to reduce the impact of RSV infections, including morbidity and mortality, it is important to recognize that primary care clinicians must be able to identify people at risk for RSV infection, effectively educate them on the potential impact of the condition, and identify strategies to lower the risk.