US approves first RSV vaccine during pregnancy to protect infants

Category : International Published on: August 23 2023

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 21 August 2023, approved the first vaccine that protects newborns from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
The vaccine is given to mothers late in their pregnancies and provides protection to infants through their first six months of life.
The approval allows the vaccine to be given to women 32 to 36 weeks into a pregnancy to prevent lower respiratory tract infection and severe disease in infants until they are six months old.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms but can also lead to serious illness and hospitalisation.
The vaccine, sold under the brand name Abrysvo, is already approved for use in adults aged 60 and older to block infection from the disease that kills an estimated 1,60,000 people globally each year.