The first of several potential RSV vaccines in development has been approved by the United States; it is called Arexvy and was developed by GSK. This action prepares persons 60 and older to receive the RSV vaccine this autumn, but the CDC must determine whether all seniors require RSV protection or only those who are thought to be at high risk.
Doctors are eager to finally have something to offer after decades of failure, especially in the wake of a viral spike that stressed hospitals last autumn.
First Anti-RSV Vaccine
The one-shot drug from Sanofi and AstraZeneca is also being considered by the FDA, along with a vaccine for pregnant women and older adults. According to Dr. William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, this is a fantastic first step in protecting elderly people from serious RSV sickness.
There is currently no vaccination available for children, although, during RSV season, high-risk newborns receive regular doses of protective medication. The FDA is debating whether to approve Sanofi and AstraZeneca’s one-shot medication after European authorities recently approved the first one-dose option. After years of virtually nothing, this is an exciting time with many potential RSV answers emerging.
- The first of several potential RSV vaccines in development has been approved by the US.
- Doctors are eager to finally have something to offer after decades of failure.
- Each year, RSV causes over 58,000 children under the age of five to be hospitalized, and several hundred of them pass away.
For most individuals, RSV is a minor inconvenience akin to a cold, but it can be fatal for the very young, the elderly, and those with certain high-risk medical conditions. Each year, RSV causes over 58,000 children under the age of five to be hospitalized, and several hundred of them pass away.
Each year, up to 177,000 seniors may need to be hospitalized with RSV, and 14,000 of them could succumb. The new GSK vaccine for elderly patients instructs the immune system to recognize a protein on the surface of RSV and contains an adjuvant to boost that immunological response.
One dosage of the vaccine was about 83% effective at preventing RSV lung infections in a global study of roughly 25,000 adults aged 60 and over, and it lowered the chance of severe infections by 94%.
GSK is monitoring trial participants for three years and comparing those who had just one immunization to those who received a booster shot every year. Shot responses were common for immunizations, like muscle aches and exhaustion, but one case of Guillain-Barre syndrome and two cases of a particular form of brain.
