among U.S. children younger than age five.
Get involved. Save lives.
Newborn RSV access
Every Child Leaves Protected.
Every Child Leaves Protected works to remove hospital, payment, and policy barriers so eligible newborns can leave the hospital protected.
Looking for pregnancy and infant RSV guidance?
Visit our Parent & Family Guide →
among U.S. children younger than age five.
that they could not do more to prevent their child's RSV experience.
Source:
NMQF RSV Fact Sheet
The access problem
Protection exists. Access is still inconsistent.
RSV prevention has advanced rapidly, but educational, operational, financial, and care-coordination barriers continue to create missed opportunities for newborn protection.
Awareness
Families and clinicians need timely, clear information about RSV prevention options, timing, and eligibility.
Payment
Reimbursement uncertainty and newborn payment structures can make hospital RSV immunization difficult to sustain.
Implementation
Workflow, inventory, VFC participation, and care coordination affect whether protection is available before discharge.
Follow-up
When hospital administration does not occur, families can face new logistical and coverage barriers later.
RSV Health Access Report
Turn the evidence into action.
Use NMQF's report and fact sheet to understand the burden of RSV, access barriers facing families and hospitals, and the system changes needed to help more infants leave protected.
Evidence for action
Use the data to move from awareness to implementation.
The report connects RSV burden with hospital implementation, VFC participation, reimbursement, public policy, and health access.
- ✓ RSV burden and prevention landscape
- ✓ Hospital reimbursement and VFC barriers
- ✓ State and local implementation examples
- ✓ Action steps for hospitals, payers, and policymakers
Hospital action
What Hospitals Need to Know
Hospitals can help close the gap between an RSV prevention recommendation and actual protection before newborn discharge.
Make protection operational
Build RSV protection into the newborn care pathway.
Hospital readiness, VFC participation, inventory planning, clinical workflows, and discharge coordination all influence whether protection can be delivered on time.
VFC
Vaccines for Children Program
Understand VFC participation and how the program can support equitable infant RSV access.
CDC MMWRBirthing Hospital VFC Enrollment
Review evidence and implementation considerations for expanding birthing-hospital participation.
Case exampleTennessee VFC Onboarding Initiative
See a practical approach to onboarding birthing hospitals into the VFC program.
Payer & reimbursement
What Payers Need to Know
Payment is an access issue. Clear and sustainable reimbursement pathways can help hospitals provide RSV protection before newborns leave the hospital.
Create a path to payment
Coverage barriers can leave newborns unprotected.
Hospitals may face reimbursement uncertainty when RSV immunization is provided during the newborn stay. Payers can help reduce those barriers by supporting clear and sustainable payment pathways.
Payers: help create a sustainable path to payment.
Clear coverage and reimbursement can reduce barriers
to hospital implementation.
View Resources
State Action Center
See how states and cities are approaching RSV access.
State and local immunization programs can provide operational guidance for VFC participation, product availability, coverage, and respiratory-season planning.
Policy & public affairs
Policymakers can help remove barriers to newborn RSV protection.
Use RSV access data, public comments, implementation resources, and evidence to support informed policy conversations.
RSV Access & ACIP
Read NMQF's public comment addressing infant RSV access.
Read CommentUse the Evidence
Use RSV access data and implementation resources in policy discussions.
View ReportTake Action
Speak up for policies that help infants receive timely RSV protection.
Take Action NowEvery child should leave protected
RSV prevention exists. Now we must make access work.
Hospitals, payers, policymakers, clinicians, and public health leaders all have a role in making newborn protection easier, more reliable, and more equitable.
Latest RSV Updates
RSV News & Education
Read NMQF stories and education on RSV risk, newborn protection, access, and health equity.
RSV and Older Adults: What Seniors Need to Know About a Serious Respiratory Threat
Respiratory syncytial virus, commonly known as RSV, has long been associated with infants and young children, but public health experts are increasingly warning that the virus poses a serious and often underestimated threat to older adults. As RSV continues to circulate during fall, winter, and early spring, its impact on seniors—particularly those ages 60 and […]
Read Article →
RSV Awareness Month: Every Baby Deserves Protection
Every parent wants their baby to start life safe, healthy, and protected. But one of the greatest threats to that hope is something many people don’t think about until it’s too late: Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV. RSV is a common respiratory infection that can cause cold-like symptoms in adults and older children, but […]
Read Article →
What Is RSV? Origins, U.S. Burden, and Who It Harms Most
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that usually causes cold-like illness—but in the very young and the very old, it can turn dangerous quickly. RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States, and it also drives substantial illness and deaths among older adults. New prevention tools are changing […]
Read Article →Resource Library
RSV access and implementation resources
Resources from public health departments, federal agencies, professional organizations, and NMQF's RSV access work. Explore the full on-site Resource Library →
State & City Resources
Agencies & Organizations
NMQF RSV Access Resources
NMQF
Every Child Leaves Protected
Explore NMQF's RSV access and advocacy work.
NMQF Report RSV Health Access ReportHospital implementation and RSV access findings.
NMQF Fact Sheet RSV Facts & ImpactKey data on RSV burden and family impact.
NMQF Public Comment RSV Access & ACIPPublic comment supporting equitable infant access.
NMQF Blog RSV News & EducationArticles, education, and campaign updates.
Take Action Advocate for RSV AccessTake action to help improve newborn RSV access.
For expecting parents & families
Looking for information about protecting your baby?
Use our on-site parent and family guide for RSV education, questions about prevention, and important conversations to have with your care team before and after birth.
Stay informed
Get the RSV Access Resource Pack
Request the RSV report, fact sheet, and on-site resource library. You can separately opt in to future campaign updates.
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RSV Access Report and fact-sheet resources
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Hospital and VFC implementation resources
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Policy, payment, and hospital resource library
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Enter your information to receive the report, fact sheet, and the RSV access resource library directly by email.