Categories of high-risk children aged 8 through 19 months eligible for immunization against RSV expanded
THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — New guidelines are presented that expand the categories of high-risk children eligible for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination and address COVID-19 vaccines for children, in two policy statements and accompanying technical reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), published online Sept. 2 in Pediatrics.
The AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases updated recommendations for the use of RSV vaccination for preventing lower respiratory tract infection in infants and children. The AAP recommends RSV immunization for all infants younger than 8 months born during or entering their first RSV season unless there is documented protection from prenatal vaccination. In addition, RSV vaccination is recommended for children aged 8 through 19 months at high risk for severe RSV disease who are entering their second RSV season. These high-risk children include those born preterm, regardless of the need for medication or other support; children with hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease; children with anatomic pulmonary abnormalities or neuromuscular disorders; and children with Down syndrome or other chromosomal differences.
The AAP recommends the 2026 to 2027 COVID-19 vaccine for all infants and children aged 6 through 23 months who do not have contraindications. In addition, a single dose of age-appropriate 2026 to 2027 COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for all children aged 2 through 18 years of age who have an increased risk for severe COVID-19, irrespective of prior COVID-19 vaccination status.
“The evidence is clear: these products work very well to prevent RSV and keep infants out of the hospital,” Sean T. O”Leary, M.D., M.P.H., chair of the RSV immunization subgroup of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, said in a statement. “We”re already seeing real-world impact.”
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