Overview
- Health departments in most states extended infant and toddler RSV shot availability through April 30 after surveillance showed the virus lingering longer than usual.
- Exceptions include Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia and Washington, D.C., which did not extend statewide, while Missouri and Virginia may allow case-by-case use and Oregon, Florida and Hawaii offer year-round access.
- Philadelphia set an interim extension through April 15 and said it will reassess, and Rhode Island chose the same date before reevaluating.
- CDC tracking shows a late peak from mid-February to mid-March and nearly 7% test positivity for the week ending March 28, up from 3.8% a year earlier, with wastewater signals high across parts of the Midwest and northern states.
- Doctors urge prevention for those at highest risk, including monoclonal antibodies for babies under 8 months in their first season and vaccines for pregnant women and older adults, with a lung association leader reporting large drops in RSV-related clinic and ER visits.