Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a well-known cause of hospitalization in infants, but new research suggests the burden of illness may be more substantial than previously recognized in healthy, older children as well. Investigators estimate over two million children under the age of five require medical treatment for RSV each year. Because it can be difficult to prevent and treat RSV infections, is there a role for a vaccine against the illness? Host Dr. Jennifer Shu welcomes Dr. Caroline Hall, professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, to explore these questions. Dr. Hall also explains how the characteristics of the virus and its mechanisms of transmission contribute to its proliferation.
