Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): What You Need to Know

Written by Meghan Sable, MPH&TM, Boost Oregon’s Central Oregon Program Manager

This year, there’s already a lot of respiratory illness going around. Along with COVID-19 and the flu, we’re seeing a lot of cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). So, what’s the deal with RSV? Who is most at risk, and what can we do to prevent it?

RSV is a common respiratory virus that is spread by coughing, sneezing, or touching something that has the virus on it. Children are usually exposed to this virus by the time they turn two, and it can cause pneumonia in vulnerable infants and the elderly. Healthy adults can be infected, but may experience mild symptoms or none at all. Even if they do not get very ill, they can still spread RSV. (1)

We have treatments to prevent vulnerable infants from getting severe disease. There are two medications called monoclonal antibodies, palivizumab and nirsevimab, that we can give infants to protect them. (2) Scientists are still examining the data on nirsevimab monoclonal antibody treatments to determine who should be eligible to receive them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will make their recommendations in June of 2023 to protect more young children for the harms of RSV. (3)

But how can we protect older adults who are susceptible to RSV? In the last decade, scientists researched how to make a vaccine against RSV. Experts used computer programs to model a vaccine nanoparticle that resembles proteins from the RSV virus. (4) They used the protein nanoparticle to create a vaccine that protects against both RSV type A and type B in adults 60 and older. (3) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to review the clinical trial data submitted in a Biologics License Application. Because these applications are very long with lots of important data, the FDA will not decide until the springtime of 2023 whether the data shows that the vaccine is safe and effective. If the FDA approves the application, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will approve the vaccine for the market. Once the vaccine is approved for the market, the CDC ACIP will decide for whom the vaccine should be recommended. (5)

Trials are ongoing to find a way to protect infants by vaccinating pregnant people. In the first few months of an infant’s life, their immune system will not create enough protection through vaccination when they are most at risk for RSV. Scientists are studying if vaccinating pregnant people may pass antibodies to their baby and protect them from RSV in the first few months of life. (6) This method of vaccination would protect even more infants than we already can with monoclonal antibody therapy.

Of course, as we wait for more medications and vaccines to protect the most vulnerable among us, we must use all the tools we already have to prevent the spread of RSV and other respiratory diseases. Practice good hand hygiene and cover coughs and sneezes. Wear a mask in public places. We can protect those at high risk when we work together to stop the spread of illness.