Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: Economic Times
Context: European regulators have approved the region’s first vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes thousands of hospitalisations and deaths annually.
The shot, called Arexvy, is made by British drugmaker GSK and is designed to protect people aged 60 and over.
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. The virus was first discovered in 1956.
- RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age
The complex molecular structure of the virus and safety concerns with previous vaccine attempts was making difficult the vaccine.
