Does Your Child Need the RSV Injection?

The Chinese CDC reported RSV as the third largest viral infection in December. So should parents be worried?

We thought it would be a good time to look at what RSV is, what options are available to combat it, and where you can find them.

What is Respiratory Syncytial Virus?

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common, highly contagious respiratory virus and is one of the main causative agents of acute lower respiratory infections in children under the age of 5 years worldwide. 

In mild cases of this virus, the main symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections for children are fever, cough and runny nose, similar to the common cold, and are therefore very easy for mothers to ignore.

The illness usually lasts 2-3 weeks, including the time of infection to the onset and finally, recovery.

In hospitals, there is usually only 'symptomatic treatment' – e.g. improving respiration, preventing hypoxia (inadequate oxygen supply), maintaining electrolyte balance, etc. – but no specific treatment, so it is important to prevent and reduce the risk of infection and morbidity prior to any infection occurring in the first place.

RSV in China

RSV is a significant health concern in China, particularly during the winter and spring months. Studies have shown that RSV infections are a major cause of hospitalization among children in China, with the virus being most prevalent from mid-October to mid-May (CDC 2025). 

Is the RSV Injection Available in Shanghai?

Currently, the Nirsevimab injection, a monoclonal antibody against RSV, is available at Jiahui's Suzhou Clinic, and in Shanghai public hospitals, but not widely available in international hospitals in Shanghai. It may become be more widely available in the future.

Jiahui's Suzhou Clinic now provides the monoclonal antibody against RSV (Nirsevimab), which can protect infants against an RSV illness episode with just one injection.

The Nirsevimab Injection: What You Need to Know

Is Nirsevimab considered a vaccine?

The Nirsevimab injection is a highly potent monoclonal antibody for the prevention of RSV infections. It can be thought of as a medication, not a vaccine.

By injecting this monoclonal antibody, a baby rapidly acquires specific antibodies against the virus and is thus directly protected, in a similar way to the immune protection provided by breastfeeding or the rabies/tetanus immunoglobulin given after an injury.

Can my child receive the Nirsevimab injection?

Currently, this monoclonal antibody is approved for use in China for all newborn children and infants between the ages of 0-12 months, when the risk of serious viral infection is relatively high.

The Nirsevimab injection is not available for children over the age of 1 year. 

How many injections are needed? What is the dosage?

A single injection of Nirsevimab is all that is needed to protect infants through the entire syncytial virus risk period – one injection for respiratory protection.

For infants weighing < 5 kg, a single intramuscular dose of 50 mg is administered; for infants weighing ≥ 5 kg, a single intramuscular dose of 100 mg is administered. 

How long is my child protected by the Nirsevimab single injection?

Clinical data shows that protection lasts at least 5 months, with immunization levels exceeding 6 months, which theoretically covers the entire season of respiratory syncytial virus infection.

Is the injection safe? 

The incidence rates of adverse reactions was comparable to that of the placebo group (saline injections), with the most common adverse reactions being rash (around 0.7%) and fever (around 0.5%).

Will the Nirsevimab injection affect my baby's other vaccinations, or the baby's vaccination schedule?

The monoclonal antibody contained in the injection belongs to the category of passive immunity, so when an individual receives this injection, he/she is transferred antibodies directly and immediately.

The injection will not interfere with active immunity vaccinations, which occur when an individual is exposed to an antigen to generate an immune system response. 

In other words, it can be given at the same time as other childhood vaccines, subject to local regulations and at the advice of the vaccinating doctor.

For questions, please scan the QR code to reach the Jiahui Suzhou Clinic patient service:

Physicians

PENG Chen, MD

Dr. PENG Chen is a Family Medicine Physician at Jiahui Health. Dr. Peng obtained the master's degree of Family Medicine from the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, completed his internship on Ruijin Hospital, and residency training on Renji Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. Prior to joining in Jiahui Health, Dr. Peng provided outpatient and inpatient services as a family physician on Shanghai Lujiazui Community Hospital and Shanghai Landseed Hospital.

Besides finish the 2-year training of Jiahui Hospital, he also worked and practiced on Emergency Rooms of Shanghai Renji Hospital, No.6 Hospital, and Shanghai Pediatrics Hospital.

Dr. Peng has extensive experiences in providing medical services for adults and children in communities, and initial evaluation/treatment of emergent cases, chronic diseases management, STD management, health check-up(including interpretation), vaccination for adults, patient education, and able to work in an bi-lingual, multi-cultural environment.

License no. :110310115005286

Tracy LI, MD

Dr. LI Xu serves as a Family Medicine Physician at Jiahui Health. She graduated from Nanjing Medical University in1993 and obtained her master's degree in gynecology from Peking University Health Science Center.

After graduating, she was engaged in obstetrics and

gynecology clinical work. She completed her training at the Beijing 301 General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and worked in tertiary hospitals in Beijing and Hebei for many years. In 2012, she completed her general practice transfer training in Beijing. Over the past ten years, she has worked in senior private clinics in Beijing, Nanjing, and Shanghai, focusing on general practice, health management, and physical examinations for travel abroad.

She has expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of general common diseases, gynecological common diseases,

chronic disease management, and emergencies. She is also skilled in health screening and immunization.

HE Lihui, MD, PhD

Dr. HE Lihui graduated from Shenyang Medical College major in Pediatrics in 1989 and had been working as a pediatrician for more than 30 years. In 2001, she was working in Pediatrics of Sohar Hospital in Sultanate of Oman for nearly 6 years. After returning to China at the end of 2006, she was working in Pediatrics of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenyang Medical College. Since 2011, Dr HE mainly worked in both private hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai.

Dr. HE specialize in diagnosis and treatment of common pediatric diseases, such as respiratory illness, digestive diseases, infectious diseases, allergic diseases and etc.

In addition, Dr. HE is is experienced in pediatric wellness, vaccination program, child growth and development assessment, psychological development assessment and etc.

Ren Quanbin

Dr. Ren graduated from Soochow University with a degree in Stomatology and has nearly 10 years of clinical experience. A certified member of the International Team for Implantology (ITI), Dr. Ren has performed over a thousand implant surgeries.

He specializes in immediate full-mouth and partial-mouth procedures, maxillary sinus floor elevation (both ridge crest and lateral window techniques), guided bone regeneration (GBR), and other bone augmentation surgeries.

As an authorized doctor for Mega, Dr. Ren excels in aesthetic restoration of anterior teeth, resin fillings, minimally invasive tooth extractions, root canal treatments, periodontal therapy, and restorations using veneers, crowns, and inlays.

XUE Lingzhi, DDS

Dr. Xue Lingzhi graduated from School of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University in 2013. She has been engaged in clinical and scientific research in stomatology and worked in a private high-end clinic in Suzhou for nearly 10 years.

Dr. Xue specializes in early dental-facial intervention and induction treatment for children and teenagers, adult orthodontics, resin aesthetic dental fillings, all-porcelain teeth, inlays, anterior aesthetic veneer resto-ration, root canal treatment, etc. She also excels in all kinds of complex teeth minimally invasive extraction, periodontal treatment, and half/full mouth immediate implant placement and other operations. Dr. Xue is proficient in combining various oral conditions, making complete diagnoses and treatment plans, and is committed to providing personalized diagnosis and treatment services for each patient.

SHI Lei, MD

Dr. SHI Lei graduated from Nanjing Medical University in 2002 with a degree in clinical medicine and subsequently obtained his master's degree in dermatology from Nantong University. After graduation, he worked at the Yangzhou Hanjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention for 10 years before joining the Dermatology Department at Suzhou Wuzhong People's Hospital, where we worked for 7 years. During this period, he passed the municipal health technician professional review and was promoted to Deputy Chief Physician.

Dr. SHI has been working in the field of dermatological surgery for 25 years and is highly experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of common skin diseases, as well as cosmetic laser therapy, facial rejuvenation and mesoderm therapy. He also specializes in dermatological surgery, skin tumor excision, skin flap plasty, skin grafting etc. At present, Dr. SHI has treated over 100,000 patients and possesses rich experience in medical cosmetology.

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