As COVID-19 and flu virus infection rates are on the rise, another virus is now wreaking havoc on the United States Health care system. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that typically leads to cold-like symptoms including runny nose, cough, and fever. The virus is so common that most individuals will be infected with the virus before the age of 2. However, in children who are infected with the virus, symptoms can be severe and even life threatening.
As the Centers for Disease Control warn, RSV may lead to bronchiolitis or pneumonia in young children, and nearly 2 out of every 100 infected children who are younger than 6 months may need to be hospitalized due to the infection. Because of this, many have stated that there is an unmet need to prevent RSV infection in children. One way to prevent infection may be through vaccination. As such, researchers have attempted to develop a vaccine against RSV, but most attempts, until recently, have been largely unsuccessful. However, earlier this week, the Biotech giant Pfizer announced that it had generated positive results from its clinical trial of a RSV vaccine.
One important aspect of Pfizer’s vaccine is that it is intended to be administered to pregnant individuals with the purpose of protecting their infants from RSV infection after birth. This method of vaccine delivery would allow infants to be protected from RSV infection immediately at birth. In the clinical trial, pregnant individuals received a single dose of the vaccine during the late second to third trimester of their pregnancy. Results showed that infants displayed significantly lower rates of RSV-like respiratory tract illness through the first 90 days of life if they were born to an individual who received the vaccine during pregnancy. Dr. Annaliesa Anderson, a senior vice president and chief scientific officer at Pfizer said, “We are thrilled by these data as this is the first-ever investigational vaccine shown to help protect newborns against severe RSV-related respiratory illness immediately at birth.”
The next step for Pfizer is to work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and similar agencies worldwide to receive approval for their vaccine. Pfizer plans to submit a license application for the vaccine to the FDA by the end of the year. The company hopes to soon be able to bring the vaccine to expectant mothers in order to protect their infants from RSV infection.
Sources: New York Times; Mayo Clinic; CDC; Vaccine; Science; Pfizer;
