After a long battle with the severe respiratory syncytial virus (aka RSV), as the first cases were reported way back in the ’50s, a vaccine finally became available. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first vaccine that aims to overcome the virus.
GlaxoSmithKline developed the new RSV vaccine known as Arexvy. We can certainly expect for the drug to save a lot of people from illness with the virus and even death. The stats show that the mortality rate in the case of those who get hospitalized because of illness caused by RSV is 6.6%. In other words, the RSV virus most probably won’t kill you, but some of those who catch the virus die from it.
You need to be at least 60 years old to get the RSV vaccine
The Arexvy vaccine for RSV was approved to be used in the case of those individuals who are at least 60 years old. Older adults are at the highest risk of severe illness caused by the virus in question.
Dr. Peter Marks, who is the director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the FDA, explained:
Today’s approval of the first RSV vaccine is an important public health achievement to prevent a disease which can be life-threatening and reflects the FDA’s continued commitment to facilitating the development of safe and effective vaccines for use in the United States.
Marks confirmed that older adults, such as those who suffer from underlying health conditions like heart or lung disease, as well as those who have weakened immune systems, have high chances of dealing with severe illness caused by RSV.
RSV is also contagious. People who suffer from it can pass the virus to others for 3 to 8 days. They could even become contagious two days before they start manifesting signs of illness.
