On Friday 25 August, the European Commission announced that it had authorised Abrysvo, the first vaccine designed to protect the elderly and infants up to the age of six months against lower respiratory tract diseases caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
This type of vaccine is particularly important given the rise in RSV infections in the EU last winter. The vaccine, which is now authorised throughout the EU, will help to boost the immune response to the virus. Considering that the prevention of RSV infection in children is of major public health interest, the Commission has accelerated the authorisation of the vaccine.
Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health, pointed out that as autumn and winter approach, “this vaccine can help prevent the serious consequences of RSV for some of our most vulnerable citizens. This is especially important for our children for whom RSV is a leading cause of hospitalisation in the EU.”
RSV is a common respiratory virus that generally causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover within one or two weeks, but RSV can be serious in vulnerable people, including the elderly, people with lung or heart disease and diabetics. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)