According to a new study, Pfizer’s RSV vaccine is safe and effective in preventing severe illness in younger adults whose immune systems are compromised. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common cause of pneumonia in young children and older adults. Each year the virus hospitalizes over 177,00 people and kills 14,000. The vaccine has already been approved for all Americans age 60 and older and for pregnant individuals in their third trimester to provide protection for the infant.
The new study tested the safety and effectiveness of two doses of the vaccine in 203 immunocompromised participants, who were divided into four groups based on their specific medical diagnoses: 1) lung cancer, 2) end-stage kidney disease, 3) autoimmune inflammatory disorder, and 4) solid organ transplant recipients. Every person enrolled in the study had a weakened immune system and faced an elevated of experiencing a severe RSV illness. Pfizer plans to submit the study data to the FDA and CDC, the first step toward potential approval of the vaccine in the new age groups.
Full Story: Associated Press
