Published: Less than 10 min ago
The American pharmaceutical agency FDA approves the first vaccine against the RS virus to protect the elderly.
The announcement comes after several years of waiting for a vaccine against the virus and means that Americans from the age of 60 will be able to be vaccinated this fall.
American authorities, however, still have to say whether the vaccine should be offered to everyone over 60, or only to those who are part of risk groups. The decision is expected to come in June.
The vaccine has been developed by the pharmaceutical giant GSK and is marketed under the name “Arexvy”. Last week, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) also recommended that the vaccine be approved within the EU.
RSV is a viral infection that usually causes mild symptoms similar to a common cold, but infants and the elderly are at risk of serious illness.