\nPfizer's new RSV vaccine for infants, Abrysvo, just received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) triggers up to 80,000 pediatric hospitalizations and 300 pediatric deaths annually in the United States.<\/span> While most infants who contract RSV develop mild respiratory symptoms\u2014like congestion, cough, and fatigue\u2014and recover smoothly, some experience difficulty breathing or develop further complications like pneumonia.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThere is no cure for RSV, but a safe and effective vaccine intended to prevent serious symptoms is a step in the right direction.\n<\/p>\n \nPfizer's RSV vaccine for newborns is the first of its kind.\n<\/p>\n \nResults from the phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the vaccine found that the shot, which is administered during pregnancy, is 82% effective at preventing severe illness in newborns in the first 90 days after they were born and 69% effective up to six months after their birth.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n“A reliable and efficacious vaccine against RSV for infants has been irritatingly elusive for many years, and it represents a significant unmet clinical need. This degree of protection could be a game-changer for newborns,\u201d Ross Kedl, PhD, professor of immunology and microbiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, told Health<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n Getty Images \/ Anna Bizon \/ EyeEm<\/p>\n <\/span> FDA Authorizes New Combined At-Home Test for Covid, Flu and RSV<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nTo achieve the goal of protecting a newborn from RSV, Pfizer\u2019s vaccine is designed to be given to the mother during pregnancy.\n<\/p>\n \nWhen vaccinated, the mother\u2019s body starts to make antibodies that can quickly recognize and destroy the virus and infected cells. Those maternal antibodies \u201cthen cross the placental barrier and provide protection in the newborn infant,\u201d said Kedl.\n<\/p>\n \nProviding newborns with protection is crucial since they have immature, developing immune systems making them more vulnerable to infectious diseases within the first few weeks of life.\n<\/p>\n \nNew moms can extend the protection after delivery by breastfeeding their babies, as research has shown that breast milk also contains protective antibodies that can be passed to the infant.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThat said, the lifespan of antibodies is approximately six months, so over time the protection will wane, noted Kedl. Most infants are exposed to RSV by the age of two, so the shot will provide protection when babies need it the most.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThe vaccine was well-tolerated and no serious safety events were reported in the clinical trials, said Alok Patel, MD, a pediatric physician at Stanford Medicine Children\u2019s Health.\n<\/p>\n \nThe shot doesn\u2019t contain any added adjuvants\u2014ingredients used to boost a person\u2019s immune response. \u201cThis makes the vaccine have fewer immediate side effects (post-vaccination fever, aches, etc.), making it all the easier to decide to take as an expecting mother,\u201d Kedl said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nMost children who contract RSV have mild cold-like symptoms and recover within a week. However, some infants\u2014particularly those who were born premature or have an underlying health condition like chronic lung disease or congenital heart disease\u2014develop more serious symptoms, explained Jill Purdie, MD, a board-certified OB\/GYN and medical director at Pediatrix Medical Group.\n<\/p>\n \nEach year, about 2.1 million children in the U.S. visit a doctor for RSV.<\/span> In fact, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization in children under one; it\u2019s also the main cause of pneumonia in children under one.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nAn effective maternal RSV vaccine could avert thousands of hospitalizations and deaths among infants under 6 months. According to Purdie, Pfizer\u2019s shot would help significantly reduce this burden.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cGlobally, RSV causes around 140,000 deaths per year so a safe and effective\u2013and available\u2013vaccine would be a monumental achievement for public health,\u201d said Patel.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Globally, RSV causes around 140,000 deaths per year so a safe and effective\u2013and available\u2013vaccine would be a monumental achievement for public health.<\/p>\n \u2014 Alok Patel, MD<\/p>\n Can Adults Get RSV From Kids? Here's What to Know About This Contagious Virus<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nIt\u2019s unclear who is immediately eligible for the shot, however, according to Purdie, it\u2019s expected that all pregnant people will be candidates. \u201cI assume the vaccine would be offered to all pregnant women since all babies would be at risk,\u201d she explained.\n<\/p>\n \nVaccine advisory boards with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) will likely make recommendations in the near future, she added.\n<\/p>\n \nIn anticipation of the FDA's approval, Pfizer planned to ramp up supply to ensure enough doses will be available when needed, a Pfizer spokesperson told Health<\/em> earlier this year.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cPfizer, in consultation with regulatory and health authorities, is eager to work collaboratively to make the vaccine available to provide protection prior to the peak of the next RSV season,\u201d the company\u2019s spokesperson said.\n<\/p>\n \nThe shot is the first vaccine available for pregnant people to help protect their newborns against complications of RSV.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cThe RSV vaccine will represent a crowning achievement in vaccine science,\u201d Patel said. \u201cRSV infects millions of people worldwide every year, and an effective vaccine has eluded scientists for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Food and Drug Administration recently approved Pfizer\u2019s new RSV vaccine to protect infants. The vaccine is administered during pregnancy and is 82% effective at preventing severe illness in newborns in the first 90 days after they were born. Experts note that the approval of this shot is a milestone in infant care. Pfizer's new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[410,1265],"tags":[116,1266],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17360"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17360\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Pregnant](\"https:\/\/www.health.com\/thmb\/-MjU1xDgjGcDhszMa6I9fZ5raqc=\/1500x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()\/GettyImages-1397920558-a888efb9fc984a1790fced30ee754852.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n How the New Infant RSV Vaccine Works <\/span> <\/h2>\n
The Impact of a RSV Vaccine for Infants <\/span> <\/h2>\n
\nAlok Patel, MD<\/h3>\n
Next Steps in Vaccine Availability <\/span> <\/h2>\n