US Drug Regulator Approves World's First RSV Vaccine
The approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) marks a major milestone in the development of vaccines to protect people of all ages against RSV.
RSV is a highly contagious virus that affects the respiratory system, causing symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, fever, and breathing difficulties.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), RSV is responsible for up to 125,000 hospitalizations and 200-500 deaths among young children in the United States every year.
It is particularly dangerous for infants and young children, as well as elderly people and those with weakened immune systems.
The newly approved RSV vaccine, developed by Novavax, is a nanoparticle-based vaccine designed to provide protection against RSV in all age groups.
The vaccine has shown promising results in clinical trials, with a 70% efficacy rate in preventing RSV-related lower respiratory tract infections in older adults.
The Novavax RSV vaccine works by using a protein nanoparticle that mimics the structure of the RSV virus.
When the vaccine is injected into the body, the immune system recognizes the nanoparticle as a foreign invader and produces antibodies to attack it.
These antibodies then provide protection against the actual RSV virus if the person is exposed to it in the future.