The US Food and Drug Administration has licensed an RSV vaccine, which kills thousands of Americans annually.
Before being made available to the general public, the vaccine still needs approval from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Effects of RSV Vaccine
According to authorities, the vaccine, called Arexvy by the maker GSK, is a significant advancement that will save many lives.
RSV is a respiratory disease that normally affects adults and causes cold-like symptoms, but it can be deadly for small children, the elderly, and people with underlying medical issues.
According to the CDC, it kills 100 to 300 kids under the age of five on average each year in the US.
The medication has been in development for more than 60 years and is the first to be approved globally to prevent RSV.
A study conducted by the UK-based company GSK and released in February revealed a vaccination efficacy of 82.6%.
The majority of the side effects were minor or moderate and subsided within two days.
The most typical symptoms are weariness or soreness at the injection site.
Read more: FDA Revokes Approval Of Previous COVID-19 Vaccines From Pfizer And Moderna
Decisions of the US FDA
The vaccination builds on a significant finding made ten years ago by National Institutes of Health experts, including some of the same researchers who worked on COVID-19 immunizations.
The protein may now be frozen in the shape it becomes just before fusing into a cell, thanks to NIH researchers.
By the end of May, the FDA is anticipated to reach a decision about Pfizer’s RSV vaccine for senior citizens.
The Pfizer maternal vaccination for baby protection is also under consideration by the government, and a decision is anticipated by the end of August.
In the next months, Moderna plans to submit the results of its Phase 3 study of an mRNA vaccine for RSV in older individuals to the FDA for clearance.
Read more: US Government To Revoke Most COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Next Week
