As parents worry over the cases of respiratory syncytial virus filling up pediatric hospitals in the U.S., finally some good news: Vaccines that protect newborns from the virus could be ready in time for next year¡¯s season.
Pfizer Inc. recently unveiled promising data on a maternal RSV shot that shows it lowered babies¡¯ risk of severe infections in those vulnerable first months of life. The early data has some caveats, but should be celebrated as a significant advance in a field that has suffered decades of setbacks. It is also an important next step in Pfizer¡¯s goal of becoming a leader in addressing RSV ¡ª a global market that according to Bloomberg Intelligence could be worth $10 billion in 2030.
In Pfizer¡¯s trial, pregnant women were given an RSV vaccine with the idea that any immunity generated would be passed onto their infants, a strategy already used for other respiratory viruses, like pertussis and the flu. The hope was that protection would last through the babies¡¯ first six months of life, the period when they are most vulnerable to serious RSV infections.
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