NEW YORK, NY (Newsource) – The bad news? It’s shaping up to be a severe season for Respiratory Syncytial Virus infections, known as RSV. The good news? We could have an RSV vaccine by next fall.
Four vaccines could be nearing review by the FDA and more than a dozen others are in testing.
A long-acting injection designed to be given right after birth is also in the works. In a recent clinical trial, it was 75 percent effective at heading off RSV infections that needed medical attention.
It’s great news considering RSV was the leading cause of infant hospitalizations in the U.S. even before this year’s surge.
It infects the lower lungs and causes a hacking cough and may lead to severe complications like pneumonia and inflammation.
Tens of millions of kids around the world get RSV every year and seniors can get it too, but the last therapy approved was in 1998.
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