The US Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for a vaccine to combat respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a deadly illness that claims the lives of thousands of Americans annually.
GSK, the manufacturer of the vaccine named Arexvy, and officials are hailing it as a significant breakthrough that will save many lives.
Before distributing the vaccine to the public, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still need to approve it.
Officials expect that people over 60 years old could receive the vaccine within a few months.
“Today’s approval of the first RSV vaccine is an important public health achievement to prevent a disease which can be life-threatening,”. Said Dr Peter Marks, who leads the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
RSV is a respiratory illness that typically results in cold-like symptoms for adults. Thus it can be dangerous for young children, the elderly, and those with underlying health conditions.
On average, it kills 100-300 children under the age of 5 in the US every year, according to the CDC.
It addition it kills about 6,000 to 10,000 adults over 65 annually, and causes between 60,000 to 120,000 hospital admissions.
In severe cases it can cause bronchiolitis, which includes a build-up of inflammation in the lungs and trouble in breathing.
The drug was over 60 years in the making. It is the first to win approval to prevent RSV anywhere in the world.
In February, GSK, a UK-based firm, published a study that found a vaccine efficacy of 82.6%.
Side effects were mostly “mild or moderate” and ended within two days. The most common are pain around the injection site or fatigue.