Study Finds Pfizer’s RSV Vaccine Effective in Preventing Illness in Older Adults

Results of a recent study show Pfizer’s experimental vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is nearly 86 percent effective in preventing severe illness in older adults. The vaccine was also found to be approximately 67 percent effective in preventing milder illness from the virus and caused no serious safety concerns. The bivalent vaccine candidate, called RSVpreF, is composed of two preF proteins selected to optimize protection against RSV A and B strains. Results of the study were based on an early analysis of a Phase III trial of 37,000 adults ages 60 and older. The protein-based vaccine was administered in a single dose.

Experts say the findings are significant as there are currently no approved vaccines to prevent RSV infections, which are responsible for 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths in older adults each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.