Vanessa and Nick Lachey Have an Important Message for Parents

Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, is a respiratory virus that is common among children. Mild cold-like symptoms point towards a RSV diagnoses. Usually, the virus symptoms are remedied within a few week’s time, however, in severe cases it can cause bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age.

According to the CDC and Prevention:

Each year in the United States, RSV leads, on average, to—

2.1 million outpatient visits among children younger than 5 years old
57,527 hospitalizations among children younger than 5 years old
177,000 hospitalizations among adults older than 65 years
14,000 deaths among adults older than 65 years

Vanessa Lachey recalls the six days in the hospital that she and her husband Nick spent when their infant son contracted RSV. There was a helpless and sad feeling that led her to research more about the virus. She found that prevention is the key to keeping loved ones safe because RSV is not treatable. Vanessa Lachey has partnered with AstraZeneca to spread awareness about RSV so that parents can protect their children.

Check out the segment below to learn more about how you can protect your children from RSV!