NORFOLK, Va. — Just before flu season, the CDC is recommending that infants and young children get protected against RSV.
It is the leading cause of hospitalizations for infants, according to the CDC.
RSV can be dangerous for infants and young children. With the CDC recommending an RSV vaccine for your children, one parent said it hits close to home for her.
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"I think it’s good because when I was a child, I actually had it," one parent said. "I was in the hospital when I was first born. I think it’s a good way to prevent future kids from having it."
RSV is a respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. This mother said it was challenging and she will be getting her daughter protected against RSV.
"I was on machines and breathing machines, in the hospital for a while," the parent said. "I was fighting it for a month when I was first born."
According to the CDC, every year an estimated 58,000 to 80,000 children younger than 5-years-old are hospitalized due to RSV.
The CDC recommends a newly FDA approved immunization for infants and babies, called Beyfortus that has shown to reduce hospitalizations for infants up to 24 months.
One doctor said the shot can make a huge difference.
"There are certain groups that are at highest risk," Dr. Celine Gounder, a CBS News Medical Contributor said. "So infants under the age of 2, but really the very youngest of infants in the first couple months of life. They have weaker immune systems, smaller airways."
One grandparent said he is for it.
"My 19-month old granddaughter is the daughter of a nurse," the grandfather said. "I think it’s a good idea."
But one parent remains hesitant.
"I don’t recommend it," a Norfolk mother said. "My youngest daughter got asthma real bad. So I’m trying to keep her safe and protected because it can trigger it."
RSV season usually starts in the fall and peaks in the winter.
