US: FDA approves world's first RSV vaccine for older adults

The United States Food and Drug Administration approved the world's first Respiratory Syncytial Virus - RSV - vaccine that is meant for older adults. However, the vaccine still needs approval from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before it can be rolled out to the public.

In a statement, senior FDA official Peter Marks said that today's approval of the first RSV vaccine is an important public health achievement to prevent a disease which can be life-threatening.

The vaccine was approved for people aged 60 and older after it was found 83



percent effective against diseases caused by RSV and more than 94 percent effective against severe diseases.

The RSV infection is more common among children but at times it also attacks the elderly population. RSV normally causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but it can be serious for people with weak immune systems.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it leads to approximately 60,000 to 120,000 hospitalizations and 6,000 to 10,000 deaths among adults 65 years of age and older.