The European Commission has authorized Abrysvo, the first vaccine to protect older adults and infants up to six months of age against lower respiratory tract disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover within one to two weeks, but RSV can be serious in vulnerable people, such as infants, older adults, and people with lung or heart disease and diabetes.
RSV vaccines are particularly important given the increase in RSV infections in the EU last winter, the Commission notes in a statement.
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The Abrysvo vaccine, made by Pfizer, is now authorized throughout the EU. It will help strengthen the immune response to the virus.
The Commission specifies that the authorization of the vaccine was made following a rigorous evaluation within the accelerated evaluation mechanism of the EMA (European Medicines Agency).
“Given that the prevention of RSV infection in children is of major interest to public health, the Commission has accelerated the authorization of the vaccine”, the statement reads.
It is the first RSV vaccine approved in the EU for inoculation of infants.
In June, the Commission authorized the marketing of the Arexvy vaccine against RSV, produced by GSK, but only for people over 60 years of age.
“This is our first EU-licensed RSV vaccine that protects not only older adults but also infants from birth. Looking ahead to the coming autumn and winter seasons, this vaccine can help prevent the serious consequences of RSV for some of our most vulnerable citizens. This is particularly important for our children, for whom RSV is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in the EU,” said Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety.
2023-08-25 16:01:21
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