FDA Approves First RSV Vaccine

The FDA recently approved the first vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus or RSV for adults ages 60 and older. The vaccine, Arexvy, prevents lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV. RSV is a highly contagious virus that causes infections of the lungs and breathing passages in individuals of all age groups. RSV circulation is seasonal, typically starting during the fall and peaking in the winter. In older adults, RSV is a common cause of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD), which affects the lungs and can cause life-threatening pneumonia and bronchiolitis (swelling of the small airway passages in the lungs).