(NEWSnet/AP) — Infants should get an injection of a new drug to protect against respiratory syncytial virus, heath advisers recommended Thursday.

An infection with RSV is a cold-like nuisance for most healthy people, but it can be life-threatening for the young and elderly. There is not vaccine yet for babies, so this medicine, a lab-made antibody that helps the immune system fight the virus, is expected to fill a need.

The drug, developed by AstraZeneca and Sanofi, is expected to be ready in fall 2023, prior to the RSV season, which typically is November through March.

In the U.S., about 58,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized for RSV each year and several-hundred die, statistics show.

A panel of outside advisers to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a one-time shot for infants born just before or during the RSV season and for those less than eight months old before the season begins. They also recommended a dose for some 8- to 19-months-olds at higher risk of a serious illness connected with RSV.

The CDC director is expected to approve the panel's recommendations.

The drug, to be sold under the brand name Beyfortus, is expected to cost $495 per dose, and to be covered by most insurance.

Although the drug is not a vaccine, the expert panel also supported including it in, a government program providing free immunizations. The American Academy of Pediatrics is urging hospitals to stock Beyfortus so newborns can get it during RSV season.

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