Officials say the vaccine against the deadly virus could be rolled out for older adults by August.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus - an illness that kills thousands of Americans each year.
Officials say the vaccine, named Arexvy by the manufacturer GSK, is a major breakthrough that will save many lives."Today's approval of the first RSV vaccine is an important public health achievement to prevent a disease which can be life-threatening," said Dr Peter Marks, who leads the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration .
It kills on an average 100 to 300 children under the age of 5 in the US every year, according to the CDC. In severe cases it can cause bronchiolitis, which includes a build-up of inflammation in the lungs and trouble in breathing.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
FDA approves world's first RSV vaccine, a shot for adults ages 60 and upBREAKING: FDA approves the world's first respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, vaccine made by pharmaceutical giant GSK.
Read more »
FDA approves world’s first RSV vaccine, a shot for older adultsIn a late-stage clinical trial, the single-dose shot lowered the risk of symptomatic illness by 83% and of severe illness by 94%.
Read more »
FDA Approves World’s First RSV Vaccine for Adults 60 and OlderResearchers first began attempting to develop a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, which is of particular danger to older people and infants, around 60 years ago.
Read more »
RSV in First Year Could Raise Baby’s Risk of AsthmaChildren who didn’t contract RSV in their first year of life had a 26 percent lower risk of asthma later in life. Learn more about the connection here.
Read more »