Respiratory Syncytial Virus

• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved ABRYSVO, the first vaccine that protects newborns from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
• The new vaccine is made by Pfizers and is given to mothers late in their pregnancies (32-36 weeks).
• It provides protection to infants through their first six months of life.
• During the trial of the vaccine on more than 7,000 pregnant people and their infants, it was found that it cut the risk that infants needed to see a doctor.
• It also reduced the cases of hospitalisation among infants.

ABOUT RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS

• People suffering from this illness are affected with infections of the lungs and respiratory tract.
• It is highly common among children and elderly.
• It can also lead to large number of hospitalisations.
• It typically hits hardest during the winter months.
• RSV spreads from person to person through the air by coughing and sneezing; direct contact; touching an object or surface with the virus on it.
• Symptoms include- congestion, runny nose, fever, cough, sore throat etc.
• Vaccines
  • There are many vaccines to protect people from RSV.
  • The recently approved antibody shot can protect infants after birth from the illness.
  • Abrysvo also became the first RSV vaccine to gain approval in two different groups. Earlier, the FDA approved the shot to protect people 60 and older.