Introdution
The RSV Vaccine: A Discovery That Could Help Avoid a Frequent Kid’s Disease
RSV Vaccine or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is a very common virus that results in respiratory tract infections. It is prevalent in children, which is why almost all children contract the disease before they are two years old. RSV is usually a mild condition causing respiratory-related symptoms similar to a cold. Still, it can cause a serious condition that requires hospitalization in children, especially those born prematurely or with other illnesses.
Until recently, there had been no known vaccine that one could take to avoid RSV. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved the first RSV preventative vaccine, which has the potential to curb the thousands of hospitalizations and possible deaths associated with RSV each year.
How Widespread is RSV?
RSV is a very widespread infection globally. RSV alone accounts for approximately 58,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year among children below the age of five years. It also results in between 100 and 500 fatalities in young children and infants annually. Contrary to expectations, RSV in adults above 65 years of age also causes 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths annually in the United States.
Globally, RSV is responsible for more than 3 million hospitalizations and over 100,000 deaths annually in people of all ages. Finding an effective cure for this common virus has been a major concern for scientists for several decades.
What Are the Symptoms of RSV Infection?
In both children and adults, RSV generally presents like a common cold, causing:
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Fever
- Wheezing
In most cases, RSV is not severe and has symptoms similar to other viruses, and it can clear up on its own in one to two weeks. However, in infants, especially those born preterm, RSV can penetrate the lungs and cause pneumonia or bronchiolitis. This leads to more severe symptoms, including:
- Shortness or difficulty in breathing
- Flaring of the nostrils
- Protruding eyes
- Cyanosis, which may involve the lips and skin having a bluish tinge
- Extreme fussiness
- Poor feeding
These are warning signs that call for immediate medical intervention, especially because 3% of RSV cases in infants below the age of six months lead to hospitalization.
Who is Most at Risk From RSV?
RSV can affect anyone, but some populations are at a higher risk of developing severe symptoms that lead to hospitalization. The highest-risk groups are:
- Neonates, particularly those born at 29 or fewer weeks of gestation
- Neonates or infants under six months old with congenital cardiac disease or chronic lung disorder
- Children with compromised immune systems
- Patients older than 65 years of age
- Patients with chronic heart or lung illness
RSV is mainly a severe illness in frail infants below six months of age and children with other chronic health issues. Otherwise, healthy infants and children over the age of two years with RSV usually present only with symptoms similar to a common cold. Nevertheless, the protection of infants who are prone to the effects of the virus was a primary reason for the development of vaccines against this highly prevalent virus.
How Does the New RSV Vaccine Work?
There are now two new RSV preventatives that have either been approved or are pending approval by the FDA.
The newly approved vaccine, RSVpreF, was developed using RSV fusion proteins made in the lab. These proteins trigger the immune system to produce RSV-neutralizing antibodies. In other words, it educates the body’s immune system to be sensitive to particles of the RSV virus and prepares the necessary defense mechanisms without delay.
RSVpreF proved to be up to 100% effective in preventing severe RSV infections that might necessitate hospitalization among pregnant women when administered during pregnancy, based on clinical trials involving 7,400 pregnant women. No serious adverse effects were reported with the vaccine during the trials.
This protection is achieved by vaccinating expectant mothers so that infants are protected from RSV through the placenta and breast milk. These maternal antibodies help protect the infant in the first six months of life when they are at the greatest risk for severe RSV illness.
There is also an RSV monoclonal antibody injection from AstraZeneca, which is still in the process of getting approval. This injection gives immediate but temporary immunity against RSV. It is administered to high-risk infants during RSV season as passive immunization when the risk is most likely.
Who Should Receive the RSV Vaccine?
The CDC will make full recommendations about RSV vaccination rollout when the vaccine is approved, but it will likely be:
- All pregnant women, particularly those in 28-32 weeks of pregnancy
- Very low birth weight infants, particularly those with BPD or CHD
Administering vaccines to expectant mothers to pass on protective antibodies to healthy newborns could prevent more than 40,000 RSV hospitalizations in infants annually. It could also dramatically lower the number of patients who require ICU, breathing machines, and IV for severe cases.
For older people and other at-risk adults, monoclonal antibody injections might be advised during the RSV pre-season, perhaps even annually.
What is the Impact of the New RSV Vaccine?
This candidate vaccine can significantly decrease the incidences of RSV infection, hospitalizations, and fatalities. Reducing the chances of vulnerable infants getting the virus and passing it on can also reduce the virus spread and further complications among older children and adults.
Experts in the field of health economics have estimated that the RSV vaccine could reduce hospitalizations by a great deal, thus saving up to billions of dollars in health costs per year. It would also decrease the use of antibiotics in managing secondary infections. Above all, the absence of suffering for infants and families with severe and occasionally lethal RSV disease is a breakthrough and a victory for child health.
Frequently Asked Questions About the RSV Vaccine
Is the RSV vaccine safe for pregnant women and babies?
Indeed, when tested in clinical trials, no major safety concerns or problems were identified with the vaccine against RSV, and the vaccine was generally safe. It stimulates the immune system to provide antibodies against the virus to the infants and does not involve injecting any live or dead virus.
When will the RSV vaccine be available?
Pfizer’s RSV vaccine was recently approved by the FDA in August 2022. Based on clinical results. It is expected to be readily available in the 2023 RSV season. Provided certain guidelines set forth by the CDC are followed.
How effective is the RSV vaccine?
Pfizer stated that it offered 85% efficacy against serious lower respiratory tract RSV infections. That needed hospitalization in babies if their moms were vaccinated. However, it has slightly lower effectiveness during the early days of infancy. It decreases with time but provides cover when infants are most exposed.
Can adults get the RSV vaccine?
Currently. The only licensed RSV vaccine is for maternal administration to prevent. Infants from getting infected. There is still research and development on RSV vaccines, especially active immunization in older adults. Adults with the following risk factors may require monoclonal antibody injections:
How long does protection from the RSV vaccine last?
Maternal RSV antibodies provide immunity that reduces over six months. Most protection is found up to the age of about three to four months. Before babies begin to build up their immunity. Extra doses could be added to the childhood immunization schedule.
Conclusion
The recently approved vaccine for RSV for pregnant women is administered to provide babies who are at risk with antibodies against Respiratory Syncytial Virus. This new vaccine is unique in its type and has tremendous potential for preventing serious infections that can lead to hospitalization, intensive care measures, and sometimes mortality. Preventing RSV in infants will yield immense economic returns and provide comfort to many families affected by this extremely prevalent and potentially fatal virus globally.
