A world-first vaccine might protect babies from the common winter virus RSV.
Harmless to adults as a simple infection snifflesfor Babys and small children but they can be life-threatening. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are one of the most important causative agents of respiratory infections at infantsespecially premature babies and toddlerssays the Robert Koch Institute: “Within the first year of life, 50 to 70 percent and by the end of the second year almost all children have had at least one infection with RSV. There is no long-term immunity.” RSV infections can either be completely without symptoms, with mild respiratory infections or a severe disease of the lower respiratory tract, in which those affected also have to be artificially ventilated.
The Respiratorische Syncytial-Virus (kurz RSV) is the most common cause of acute respiratory infections in infants and young children up to the age of three. These can be particularly difficult in the first three months of life. In principle, infections with RS viruses, which occur more frequently in the winter months and in spring (October/November to March/April), can affect anyone.
While older children and adults generally only develop mild, cold-like symptoms, RSV infections easily spread from the upper to the lower airways in the first few months of life. Because infant airways are relatively narrow, their bronchioles and lung tissue are particularly affected by RSV infection. Inflammation of the small terminal branches of the bronchial tree (Bronchiolitis) and pneumonia. This danger decreases with increasing age due to growth.
Vaccination with antibodies
There’s currently no easy prevention or cure, but a yearly dose of antibodies can stave off serious infections like that, according to a new study “Sun” reported. dr William Muller of Northwestern University: “This has the potential to provide RSV protection for all infants, which would represent a paradigm shift in the treatment of this disease.”
In his study, which “New England Journal of Medicine” The vaccine was given to 994 infants and RSV rates compared to 496 children receiving placebo. Only 12 of the vaccinated children (1.2 percent) had an infection that required medical attention, compared with 25 children (5 percent) of the unvaccinated children. This corresponds to an effectiveness of 74.5 percent for nirsevimab. Hospitalization for RSV lower respiratory tract infection occurred in 6 infants (0.6 percent) in the nirsevimab group and 8 infants (1.6 percent) in the placebo group.
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Once a year required
The vaccine called Nirsevimab, which AstraZeneca is produced acts by cloned antibody injected directly into the bloodstream to fight RSV once it enters the body.
the vaccine does not confer lasting immunity, so it must be administered every year. But the risk of serious illness decreases as the children get older. A similar vaccine already exists, but it has to be given every month, up to five times a year, and is only suitable for high-risk children. If nirsevimab is approved, it might be the first RSV vaccine suitable for all babies.
