Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Disease & Vaccine Information

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): The Disease

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common contagious respiratory virus that produces cold symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, wheezing, decreased appetite, fever and malaise. Most people who become infected with RSV will recover fully within a week or two without treatment.¹

Young infants and children, older adults, and individuals with immune system disorders and chronic health conditions are at an increased risk of RSV infection and may also be at an elevated risk of developing complications from the illness.² Complications of RSV infection include inflammation of the small airways within the lungs (bronchiolitis) and lung infection (pneumonia) and may require hospitalization for supportive care.³Click to read more about RSV disease

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): Vaccine Approval Status

Two RSV vaccines are under consideration by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the ACIP for adults age 60 or 65 years and older, one by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the other by Pfizer.⁴ Neither vaccine demonstrates the ability to prevent transmission of RSV and vaccine efficacy beyond the clinical trial follow-up time of six to seven months is not known.⁵

The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will meet on May 1 to consider the biologics license application (BLA) for Pfizer’s RSV vaccine ABRYSVO for use in infants from birth through 6 months of age by active vaccination of pregnant women.

Previous to this FDA meeting, Pfizer reported vaccine efficacy in infants to be 57.1 percent at 90 days after birth, waning to 51.3 percent at 180 days and 41 percent at 360 days. Vaccine efficacy for severe RSV was reported at 81.8 percent at 90 days after birth, waning to 69.4 percent at 180 days. Vaccine efficacy related to hospitalizations were reported to be 67.7 percent at 90 days after birth, waning to 33.3 percent at 360 days.⁶

As vaccines are approved by the FDA and recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for use, NVIC will publish information on licensed RSV vaccines. To learn more about the RSV vaccines under development, read our recent RSV article (link).

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Quick Facts

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus with symptoms similar to a mild cold, such as coughing, sneezing, wheezing, decreased appetite, fever, and malaise.⁷ The virus is contagious and is transmitted through coughing and sneezing, and by coming into direct contact with the virus.⁸

• Young infants, children, older adults, and individuals with immune disorders and underlying chronic health disease are more at risk of developing RSV infection and suffering from complications of the illness.⁹ By two years of age, most infants and children will have had RSV;¹⁰ however, it is possible to have more than one infection throughout a lifetime.¹¹Click to read more Quick Facts 

 

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