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70 years of RSV vaccine exploration! Why is this success so exciting around the world?
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) affects more than 64 million people worldwide each year and causes approximately 160,000 deaths. For nearly 70 years, scientists have been working hard to develop an effective RSV vaccine, and finally made significant progress recently. According to the latest news, several RSV vaccines have been approved for medical use, including GSK’s Arexvy, Pfizer’s Abrysvo, and Moderna’s Mresvia. These vaccines not only bring hope to the elderly, but are also expected to change the situation in intensive care units and reduce pneumonia. waiting for the occurrence of serious complications.
The arrival of these vaccines marks a new stage in the fight against RSV, providing new tools to protect the most vulnerable.
According to the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults over age 60 should consider getting vaccinated against RSV, especially those at higher risk who have chronic medical conditions or live in nursing facilities. This new guidance covers people over 75 who have not previously received an RSV vaccine.
Medical uses of RSV vaccine
RSV vaccine is mainly used to prevent lower respiratory tract diseases caused by RSV. The Arexvy vaccine is currently approved for adults over the age of 60, while Abrysvo is not just for older adults, but is specifically targeted at women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy to protect newborns from RSV.
This marks a major breakthrough in the development of an RSV vaccine and will greatly improve protection for pregnant women and newborns.
Historical background of RSV vaccine
Vaccine development dates back to the 1960s, but early attempts, such as vaccines inactivated with formaldehyde, resulted in serious RSV infections and hospitalizations in vaccine recipients. This failure dealt a major blow to the development of the vaccine, and research almost stalled for several years.
However, with the advancement of science and technology, the research and development of RSV vaccine is back on track again. Research in 2013 showed that the structure of the fusion (F) protein of RSV was revealed to improve its stability and provide a scientific basis for the effective design of vaccines.
Achievements in clinical trials
Multiple companies are currently conducting Phase III clinical trials to test the safety and effectiveness of RSV vaccines in adults aged 60 years and older. Among them, vaccines from companies such as GSK, Pfizer and Moderna have shown good protective effects.
Pfizer's Abrysvo vaccine was shown in recent studies to be 67% effective in preventing RSV infection and 86% protective against severe disease.
In 2024, Moderna's mRNA vaccine Mresvia will be approved in the United States, further expanding the types of RSV vaccines available and providing more choices to medical institutions and patients.
The social impact of vaccines
With the approval and use of RSV vaccines, global public health concepts will be affected. Protection of the elderly and high-risk groups will mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the medical system to a certain extent. This is not only a medical success, but also reflects a step forward in scientific research.
Future Outlook
With the rollout of vaccines, RSV prevention and control strategies are changing, and public health agencies in various countries are also considering how to best allocate vaccine resources to protect those who need it most.
The success of the RSV vaccine allows people to see the potential of future vaccine development. Can similar breakthroughs be achieved in other important diseases?
