The European Commission authorized the sale of the Arexvy vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for people over 60 years of age, according to a statement from the British pharmaceutical giant GSK released this Wednesday in London.
This is the same virus that causes bronchiolitis, a disease that causes hospitalizations and deaths, mainly in babies.
The vaccine had already received a first authorization in the US, also for older adults, on May 3, 2023, by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
For its part, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had been in favor of authorization last month, but the Commission’s final decision had not yet arrived. And it is estimated that vaccinations will begin in the fall.
"It is the first time that a vaccine against RSV has received marketing authorization in Europe," GSK said, in statements cited by the AFP agency .
Each year, the virus causes "more than 270,000 hospitalizations and around 20,000 deaths during hospitalization" in older people in Europe, the pharmaceutical company stated.
RSV is a widespread and contagious virus that usually causes mild cold-like symptoms. But it can be serious for young children and adults, as well as for people with previous pathologies or weak immune systems. In severe cases, it can cause pneumonia or bronchiolitis, inflammation in the small airways of the lungs.
