2023-06-06 19:42:05
The European Comission reported this Tuesday that it has given its approval to the ‘Arexvy’ vaccine, the first on the market to protect adults over 60 against the respiratory syncytial virus (VRS), considered the most frequent cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
The Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, has highlighted the importance of having a vaccine that was “especially awaited” due to the increase in infections during the past winter, while stressing that Brussels considered the procedures to examine this vaccine as “priority” and thus expedite the process.
However, the Community Executive points out that the authorization of the vaccine has followed a “strict evaluation” under the accelerated mechanism of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), aware that the prevention of this virus in the elderly population is “of great public health interest”.
“The coronavirus pandemic clearly showed the need for decisive action to better prepare the EU for emerging health threats. This is a fundamental principle of the strong European Health Union that we are building”, Kyriakides defended.
The commissioner has also trusted that governments “quickly take advantage” “of the opportunity created and define national vaccination strategies so that people at greatest risk can be vaccinated “in the coming months”, before autumn returns.
Respiratory syncytial virus usually causes only mild cold-like symptoms and most patients recover within a week or two, but It can be more serious in vulnerable groups such as the elderly or patients with pulmonary or cardiac pathologies and diabetes.
According to data from Brussels, RSV causes some 250,000 hospitalizations and 17,000 deaths each year among people over 65 in the EU.
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