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National Minority Quality Forum and COMMS
For expecting parents & caregivers

Protecting your baby from RSV starts before delivery.

Learn how RSV can affect babies, understand the protection options available before and after birth, and bring the right questions to your care team.

Build Your RSV Birth Plan Questions to Ask Your OB-GYN
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Start here

What expecting parents should know about RSV

This page is designed as a simple pregnancy journey: understand RSV, learn the protection options to discuss with your clinician, and prepare questions before delivery.

1

RSV can be serious for babies

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) often causes cold-like symptoms, but it can lead to serious illness in infants and is a leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States.

2

Protection can start during pregnancy

In most of the continental United States, CDC recommends Pfizer’s maternal RSV vaccine (Abrysvo) during weeks 32–36 of pregnancy from September through January.

3

Babies can also receive RSV antibodies

Long-acting RSV antibodies such as nirsevimab or clesrovimab can protect eligible infants. Most babies need either maternal vaccination or an infant antibody—not both.

Your pregnancy journey

When should I talk about RSV?

RSV planning does not have to happen all at once. Use these points in your pregnancy and newborn journey to ask questions and confirm the plan with your care team.

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Second trimester
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Third trimester
3
Hospital admission
4
Discharge
5
First pediatric visit

Plan before delivery

Build your RSV birth plan

A few questions before delivery can help you understand what RSV protection may be appropriate for you and your baby. Check items as you discuss them with your care team.

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My RSV Birth Plan

Questions to discuss with your care team

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Your plan can change. Review it again with your hospital team before discharge.

Before you go home

Hospital Bag / Delivery Checklist

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Keep these simple reminders with the rest of your delivery preparation.

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If your baby does not receive the planned RSV protection before discharge, ask when and where it can be given next.

Before delivery

Questions to ask your OB-GYN and hospital

Save these questions for your next appointment or bring them with you when you discuss your birth plan.

Am I in the recommended pregnancy window for maternal RSV vaccination?
Based on my vaccination history and due date, what protection will my baby need?
Does my hospital offer nirsevimab or clesrovimab for eligible newborns?
If protection is recommended, when would my baby receive it?
Will my insurance cover the recommended option, and whom should I call if I have coverage questions?
What should I do if my baby leaves the hospital without receiving the planned RSV protection?

First-Time Mom Center

Small questions matter when everything is new

Preparing for a baby can mean juggling appointments, birth plans, feeding questions, insurance details, and newborn care. Use these reminders to make RSV part of the conversation without making it the only conversation.

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Before your next prenatal visit

Write down your RSV questions, confirm how many weeks pregnant you will be at the visit, and bring your vaccine history if your care team does not already have it.

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Before hospital discharge

Ask whether the RSV plan you discussed during pregnancy has changed and whether your baby needs any protection before going home.

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At the first pediatric visit

Tell the pediatrician whether you received maternal RSV vaccination and whether your baby received an RSV antibody in the hospital.

Real moms. Real questions.

Stories, expert conversations, and RSV explainers

Hear from mothers, caregivers, clinicians, and health advocates about motherhood, RSV awareness, and protecting babies from day one.

Keke Palmer For Your Health News Special Conversation

Now Streaming

Keke Palmer on Motherhood, RSV Prevention & Helping Protect Babies from Day One

Keke Palmer joins For Your Health News for a special conversation about motherhood, the questions families face, and why RSV protection deserves a place in conversations before and after delivery. Listen to the full episode now.

Visit For Your Health News Podcast Visit FYH.News
Now Streaming — Listen Here

Keke Palmer on Motherhood, RSV Prevention & Helping Protect Babies from Day One

Listen to this special For Your Health News conversation about motherhood, RSV prevention, and helping protect babies from day one.

Having trouble playing the episode? Listen on For Your Health News Podcast →

Find help

Resources for expecting parents and caregivers

Start with trusted pregnancy, infant protection, and health information. Then explore the Every Child Leaves Protected Resource Library for state, city, hospital, agency, and professional resources.

CDC: Protecting Infants from RSV Current U.S. guidance on maternal vaccination and infant RSV antibodies. ACOG: RSV Vaccine & Pregnancy Pregnancy-focused answers from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. For Your Health News Podcast Expert conversations and health information from NMQF. RSV Equity Action Explore the broader effort to improve access to RSV protection. RSV Ready Social Media Toolkit Share ready-to-use RSV awareness messages and help families start the conversation before baby arrives.

Every Child Leaves Protected

Resource Library

Organized trusted resources from state and city health departments, hospitals, government agencies, and professional and advocacy organizations supporting RSV immunization access and implementation.

State & City Health Departments

Minnesota 2026–27 VFC RSV ordering information Current Minnesota Vaccines for Children announcements and seasonal ordering information. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Prepare for RSV Season Seasonal guidance for hospitals and providers, including RSV immunization ordering information. Wisconsin RSV immunization and VFC guidance Wisconsin public-health guidance addressing RSV immunization access and VFC supply. Maryland Respiratory-season vaccine coverage State vaccine information, including coverage guidance relevant to recommended RSV immunizations.

Agencies & Trusted Organizations

CDC VFC Information for Parents Eligibility and program information, including how birthing hospitals can participate as VFC providers. CDC About the Vaccines for Children Program Overview of the federal VFC program and who it serves. CDC MMWR Expanding Birthing Hospital VFC Enrollment for RSV Immunization CDC findings on birthing-hospital VFC enrollment and expanding infant access to RSV immunization. American Academy of Pediatrics RSV Pediatric Collection Clinical and implementation resources, including reporting on hospital insurance coverage for RSV immunization. Public Health Communications Collaborative Communicating About RSV Vaccination in 2026–27 Communication tools and messaging support for the current respiratory season. Association of Immunization Managers Tennessee Birthing Hospital VFC Enrollment Initiative An implementation example focused on onboarding birthing hospitals into the Vaccines for Children program.

For hospitals, clinicians, payers, and advocates: Visit Every Child Leaves Protected for the broader RSV access initiative and additional implementation information.

Medical note: This page is for education and does not replace medical advice. RSV recommendations can depend on pregnancy timing, prior maternal RSV vaccination, the baby’s age and health, local RSV seasonality, and product availability. Talk with your OB-GYN, pediatrician, or other qualified healthcare professional about the option that fits your situation.