Wave of RSV, particularly dangerous for babies, washing over U.S.; doctors urge vaccination

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The leading cause of infant hospitalization, RSV can trigger severe pneumonia and lung infections.

Health officials urge vaccination for high-risk groups, including pregnant women, seniors and medically vulnerable people.

A wave of the highly contagious respiratory syncytial virus is beginning to wash over the United States — sending greater numbers of babies and toddlers to the hospital, recent data show.

The onset of RSV comes as the country heads into the wider fall-and-winter respiratory virus season, also typically marked by increased circulation of ailments such as COVID-19 and the flu. But RSV, the leading cause of infant hospitalization nationwide, presents particular risk