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. 2016 Jun 24;34(30):3535-41.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.04.083. Epub 2016 May 13.

Vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus: The time has finally come

Barney S Graham  1
Affiliations

Vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus: The time has finally come

Barney S Graham. Vaccine. .

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus causes a significant public health burden, particularly in very young infants and the frail elderly. The legacy of enhanced RSV disease (ERD) from a whole formalin-inactivated RSV vaccine, and the complex biology of the virus and the neonate have delayed the development of effective vaccines. However, new insights into factors associated with ERD and breakthroughs in understanding the antigenic structure of the fusion (F) glycoprotein have increased optimism that vaccine development is possible. This has led to investment of time and resources by industry, regulatory authorities, governments, and nonprofit organizations to develop the infrastructure needed to make the advanced clinical development of RSV vaccine candidates a reality.

Keywords: Asthma; Bronchiolitis; Elderly; Eosinophilia; Epitope; Fusion; Immunization; Infants; Neutralization; Pneumonia; Protein conformation; RSV; Structure-based vaccine design; Subunit vaccine; Th2; Vaccination; Vaccine vector; Vaccine-enhanced illness; Wheezing.

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Figure 1
Figure 1
Potential target populations for RSV vaccines include 1) pregnant women, 2) infants <6 months of age, 3) infants and children >6 months to 2 years, 4) young (2–5 years old) and school-age children, and 5) individuals >60 years of age. Children less than 2 years of age and the elderly would derive the most direct benefit from an effective vaccine. Since all children are infected early in life, anyone over 2 years of age is likely to have experienced natural infection, so vaccination of older children and adults is designed to boost pre-existing immunity. Vaccination in children under 2 years of age could be the primary immunization event.
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