The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a vaccine against the respiratory virus known as common RSV for children one year old or younger. RSV is considered the second leading cause of death during a child’s first year of life, with infants six months or younger at the highest risk of severe illness.
Additionally, about one to two in every 100 children under six months with RSV may need to be hospitalized, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In most of the U.S., RSV circulation is seasonal, typically starting in the fall and peaking in the winter. An increase in cases last fall put pressure on children’s hospitals across the country.
Beyfortus, an antibody developed by Sanofi and AstraZeneca, can be administered to infants born before the RSV season or at birth through intramuscular injection.
The Sanofi-AstraZeneca antibody is the first antibody approved for all infants. Another injection known as palivizumab is already on the market but is given monthly only to medically high-risk young children.
Beyfortus has been approved for the prevention of disease in infants during or at the start of the first RSV season, as well as for children up to two years old who remain vulnerable to the disease.
The most common adverse side effects include rash and reactions at the injection site.
The intention is for the vaccine to be available for this year’s fall/winter season.
Source: AXIOS