Editorial: Surveillance of Seasonal Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection in Children and Vulnerable Adults Drives Vaccine Development and New Immunization Programs

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection remains a significant global health problem, particularly affecting infants <5 years of age who are susceptible to severe RSV disease. New approaches to protecting infants include recommendations for maternal immunization. There are currently three available RSV vaccines that include an AS01E-adjuvanted RSV prefusion F vaccine (Arexvy), a non-adjuvanted bivalent RSV prefusion F vaccine (Abrysvo), and an mRNA vaccine (MResvia). Seasonal use of Abrysvo is recommended for women between 32-36 weeks of pregnancy. The long-acting monoclonal antibody, nirsevimab (Beyfortus), targets the surface F protein of RSV and is effective in late preterm and term infants. The adjuvanted RSV vaccine, Arexvy, is the first approved vaccine to prevent RSV lower respiratory tract infection in adults ≥60 years. Recent modeling and clinical studies have begun to address some of the concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of new RSV vaccines in children, pregnant women, and the elderly. This editorial aims to describe how global surveillance of increasing seasonal RSV respiratory tract infections has driven the development of new vaccines and immunization programs for infants, children, pregnant women, and vulnerable adults.