The public, by and large, has not been on board with immunizations in the aftermath of the pandemic, despite public health agencies heavily campaigning this year for more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19,

Infections caused by the latest variant have symptoms including fever, chills, fatigue, cough, congestion and headache.

The CDC just released new recommendations for the shot in June 2024, focusing on folks that are 60 or older, who are generally more likely to get really sick from the germ. But that doesn’t mean younger adults are off the hook. There’s a lot you can (and should!) do to prevent the spread of RSV to vulnerable people.

Dr. Jaunita Mora said the respiratory syncytial virus is the leading cause of infant hospitalizations. Here are the people she said are most vulnerable to the disease.

If you, for some reason, don’t get the RSV vaccine while you’re pregnant, you can (and should!) still protect your baby after birth. Docs can give infants under eight months a monoclonal antibody injection that directly gives them RSV immunity. Newborns often get it right at the hospital or within a week of birth if it’s RSV season.

Getting vaccinated is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from the flu, COVID-19 and RSV.