LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Cold season is right around the corner and for infants it can be a dangerous time of the year. Respiratory syncytial virus or RSV is the number one reason infants are hospitalized, according to Norton Healthcare.

This is the first season nirsevimab is being offered. It is a long-acting monoclonal antibody that comes as a shot.

Norton Healthcare said the drug is a single shot that helps to boost an infant’s immune systems. The shot is recommended for all babies 8-months-old and younger. Doctors also recommend it for older babies with health risks. Kris Bryant a pediatric infectious disease physician at Norton Children’s Hospital says the shot has very few disadvantages.

“There may be some soreness where the shot goes in. Some babies less than one in 100 developed a rash. But really minimal side effects and potentially lots of benefit,” said Bryant.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug in July and it will become available at most pediatric offices in October.

“We want to protect as many babies as we can before RSV starts circulating widely in the community. Like I mentioned, we’re starting to see some cases,” she said. 

Parents who want the shot for their child should talk with their primary care physician to get the shot when it becomes available.