New RSV Vaccine Released for Pregnant Women and Elderly Adults
Pfizer faced criticism for not informing women participating in the trial that a similar vaccine had been withdrawn by GSK due to a signal for pre-term birth.
The government is offering a new vaccine to older people and pregnant women to protect against a respiratory virus that can have serious consequences for babies, despite usually being mild.
The NHS announced that from September, individuals over 75 and women at least 28 weeks pregnant will receive a single dose of the vaccine Abrysvo, developed by Pfizer, to guard against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The vaccine is being closely monitored under the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA’s) Black Triangle Scheme.
RSV is a common infection among children, causing cold-like symptoms in healthy adults and kids. Premature babies are particularly vulnerable to serious complications from RSV due to their underdeveloped immune systems.
Although the trial of the new vaccine showed an increase in preterm births in some areas, there was no significant difference in neonatal deaths between the groups that received the vaccine and the control group.
Safety Concerns with Competing Vaccine
An investigation revealed that GSK’s rival RSV vaccine was pulled from development in 2022 due to concerns about premature births. Some experts criticized Pfizer for not disclosing this information to pregnant women in the trial.
