‘Game-changing’ vaccine given to pregnant mums can cut risk of life-threatening disease RSV in their babies | Science & Tech News
A “game-changing” vaccine given to pregnant mothers can significantly reduce the risk of life-threatening respiratory illness in babies, according to new results from a late-stage clinical trial. .
The vaccine, codenamed RSVpreF, reduced the chance of severe illness from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by 82% in the first 90 days of life and by 69% in the first six months.
RSV kills 100,000 children under the age of 5 each year worldwide, with 45,000 children under 6 months of age.
PfizerThe company, which makes the vaccine, plans to apply for its first regulatory approval by the end of 2022.
Annaliesa Anderson, the company’s senior vice president and chief scientific officer for vaccine research and development, said: “We are delighted by these data as this is the first research vaccine to be validated. proven to help protect infants against severe respiratory illness associated with RSV immediately after birth.”
About 7,400 women in 18 countries participated in a phase 3 clinical trial, receiving either the vaccine or the dummy shot at the end of the second or third trimester of pregnancy.
Vaccinated mothers passed on protection to their babies while in the womb. There is no evidence of safety problems.
Most RSV deaths are in low- and middle-income countries.
In the UK, an average of 83 children die each year, with more than 29,000 hospitalized. Rates are on the rise this fall as the virus flares up again after a quiet period due to reduced socialization during COVID pandemic.
Dr Chrissie Jones, Associate Professor of Childhood Infectious Diseases at the University of Southampton, said: “It is an absolute game changer and of high global importance.
“If this vaccine is approved by regulators, it will have a significant impact on hospital admissions for RSV. It’s very important for the UK, but very important for countries with low and middle income.”
RSV is a virus common in young children that causes symptoms similar to those of a severe cold. In infants younger than six months, it often leads to bronchiolitis, an infection of the small airways in the lungs that can make breathing more difficult.
Professor Jonathan Ball, from the University of Nottingham, said: “RSV causes an infection that can lead to pneumonia and is especially problematic in young children.
“Previous attempts to use vaccines to protect them, especially during the first year of life, have proven difficult, so it is information from Pfizer that early clinical trial data Their ability to show good protection against lung infections … is great news.”
Pfizer announced the results in a press release. It says it will submit the full data for publication in a medical journal.
