Friday 20 May 2022

Protect One Age Group: Put Another At Increased Risk'?

In young children, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the most common cause of acute, lower respiratory infection. RSV cases 'surged' when Covid19 restrictions were eased (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/may/19/respiratory-syncytial-virus-under-fives-respiratory-infection-covid). RSV infections are spread by coughing and sneezing. No vaccine has been developed for this virus. There is also no specific treatment for RSV infections. In 2019, more than 100,000 deaths in children under 5 were caused by RSV-attributable acute lower respiratory infections. Some authorities believe that more children will be affected by RSV infections in the future. They suggest that mask-wearing and lockdowns have robbed young children of opportunities to develop natural immunity against this and other viruses. It seems odd, given the scale of the problem, that there has apparently been no attempts to develop an RSV vaccine for young children.

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