CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) — Dr. Kaylee Keiper, a pediatrician at Pediatric Care Specialists in Johnstown, had her own little baby boy, Miles, about four months ago.
"Miles is my third child. He's just a really happy, easy baby," she told 6 News.
But with two adorable big sisters who shower him with hugs, kisses, and love, they also bring him germs.
"It's so tough when you have big kids and you want them to bond with their new sibling, and you want them to be able to spend that quality time together. But you know they're in school, and exposed to all these typical fall and winter viruses," said Dr. Keiper.
One of those viruses being RSV, short for Respiratory Syncytial Virus.
RSV usually presents as the common cold -- for older kids and healthy adults -- but can be severe for infants.
We see so many of our newborns and younger infants in the emergency room or admitted to the hospital -- needing oxygen and iv fluids -- and all these things that you never want to picture your baby having to go through," Dr. Keiper told 6 News.RSV is the number one cause for hospitalization in children under the age of five.
Dr. Keiper says a handful of babies in Johnstown were admitted to the hospital this year because of RSV.
This past July, the FDA approved a new injection called Beyfortus to prevent severe RSV.
That's something Dr. Keiper gave her own son "without hesitation."
"I was super excited the minute we got our Beyfortus in stock to be able to give him a dose," Dr. Keiper told 6 News.
The injection is not a "vaccine" in the traditional sense, she explains.
It does not stimulate the body's own immune system to create antibodies, instead, it gives the body antibodies to avoid the worst outcomes.
"Coming to the office -- one simple injection -- can prevent so many cases of that. I think it's just going to totally revolutionize how we see RSV in the coming years," she said.
Dr. Keiper says now is the perfect time to schedule that appointment to keep your newborn safe.
"We want to keep our newborns, in particular, as healthy as possible. This is just one other way we can do that."
There is a national shortage of this medication, so Dr. Keiper says to check if your pediatrician's office has it in stock.
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