Beyond the Symptoms: RSV's Hidden Costs and Strategies to Protect Infants

In this episode, ‘Beyond the Symptoms: RSV's Hidden Costs and Strategies to Protect Infants,’ the expert pharmacists explore the following questions: 1. Beyond health concerns, what do we know about the economic burden of RSV on individuals and the healthcare system? How does this underscore the need for preventive interventions?

2. What opportunities do we have to protect those high-risk infants, and what should we be doing?The pharmacists examined the often-overlooked economic consequences of RSV, detailing how the virus generates billions in healthcare costs annually, with hospitalizations being the primary driver of financial strain. The experts also shed light on the significant indirect costs, such as prolonged caregiver anxiety and disruption to family routines, which extend far beyond the initial infection. They then addressed how to mitigate this burden by reviewing current prevention methods for high-risk infants, specifically the maternal RSV vaccine and the monoclonal antibody for newborns. The conversation underscores that effective prevention is the most powerful tool to reduce both the clinical severity and the substantial economic toll of RSV.Throughout the conversation, the experts provide a comprehensive reflection on the field and the factors that may shape how clinicians approach care moving forward.