According to its manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, the European Commission has followed the American government in licensing the world’s first Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccine, which should be used by persons 60 and older.
Tony Wood, chief scientific officer of GSK, stated in a statement that “this Arexvy authorization means eligible adults can be immunized against RSV disease for the first time.”
The United States approved the drug last month, while the vaccine is the culmination of a decades-long hunt to protect vulnerable people from the common illness.
RSV normally causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can be serious for infants and the elderly, as well as those with weak immune systems and underlying conditions.
In extreme situations, it may result in pneumonia and bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the lungs’ tiny airways.
According to analysts, the market may be worth more than $10 billion in the following ten years, and similar products from other manufacturers, such as Pfizer and Moderna, are anticipated to follow soon.
GSK stated “RSV is a common, contagious respiratory virus that causes 20,000 in-hospital deaths in adults aged 60 and over in Europe each year.”
