US on Wednesday approved the first RSV vaccination designed specifically for older persons. Although it sometimes affects the elderly population, the respiratory virus (RSV) infection is more prevalent in children.
Arexvy, a vaccine developed by GSK, is the first to offer RSV protection to older adults after receiving approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Many more are currently in the works.
The action prepares those aged 60 and older to receive the vaccine this autumn, but the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet determined whether all senior citizens require RSV protection. In June, the CDC’s advisors will discuss this issue.
“This is a great first step to protect older persons from serious RSV disease,” said Dr. William Schaffner, Medical Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, who wasn’t involved in its creation. For what is anticipated to be a series of new protections, “We’re going to be working our way down the age ladder” next.
There is currently no vaccination available for children, but during the RSV season, high-risk newborns receive regular doses of protective medication. In the meantime, European regulators have given the go-ahead for a protective medicine administered to high-risk infants throughout RSV season in a single dose. The FDA is considering approving the one-shot medication from Sanofi and AstraZeneca.
“This is a very exciting time with multiple potential RSV solutions coming out after years of really nothing,” said Dr. Phil Dormitzer, chief of vaccine research and development for GSK, formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline.
The FDA is also taking competitor Pfizer’s comparable vaccination for older individuals into consideration in addition to GSK’s Arexvy. Pfizer is also requesting permission to vaccinate expectant mothers so that their children are born with some level of protection.
For the majority of people, RSV is a minor inconvenience similar to a cold, but it can be fatal for the very young, the elderly, and those with certain high-risk medical conditions. It can obstruct babies’ breathing by inflaming their small airways, or it can get deep inside the lungs of elderly people and cause pneumonia.
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