Older Adults Need to Combat RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) Too!
Annandale, VA; June 1, 2022
The leaders and researchers at the Clinical Alliance for Research and Education-Infectious Diseases (CARE-ID) are continuing their efforts on the vaccine development front in the area of another respiratory virus commonly associated with children but which is also a danger to many older adults. Working with Bavarian Nordic for the very first time, CARE-ID is beginning a Phase III trial of the recombinant MVA-BN® RSV vaccine in adults aged 60 years and older. The primary objective of the study is to assess the efficacy of the vaccine candidate in lower-respiratory tract disease caused by RSV compared to placebo.
“Most of our attention over the past 2 years has been on the COVID-19 virus. But it’s not the only respiratory virus we need to be concerned about,” said David Wheeler, MD, FACP, FIDSA, principal study investigator, managing partner of Infectious Diseases Physicians, Inc. (IDP), the private clinical practice partner of CARE-ID. “Just as we have developed vaccine protections against COVID and influenza, we have an opportunity to do the same for RSV. Most people who get an RSV infection will have mild illness and will recover in a week or two. Some people, however, are more likely to develop severe RSV infection and may need to be hospitalized. RSV can also make chronic health problems worse. For example, people with asthma may experience asthma attacks as a result of RSV infection, and people with congestive heart failure may experience more severe symptoms triggered by RSV.”