2023-09-11 16:22:37
“Vaccinations against respiratory tropism viruses are fundamental and essential in people suffering from chronic respiratory diseases”, but “it would be desirable and important”, also in those with “chronic diseases” and, “in any case, in the general population. We are normally in contact with the influenza virus, the cold rhinovirus and, for a few years, with the coronavirus. Now we are also dealing, predominantly, with the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which has always been present, but which had never been adequately considered.” Thus Pierachille Santus, professor of Respiratory Diseases, University of Milan and director of Uoc Luigi Sacco hospital (Milan), on the sidelines of the International Congress of the European Respiratory Society (Ers) 2023 underway in the Lombardy capital until 13 September.
“The respiratory syncytial virus – explains Santus – affects both the child population and the adult population and is capable of causing respiratory diseases affecting both the upper and lower respiratory tract. The possibility of having a vaccine available against the respiratory syncytial virus – he continues – is very important today, especially in some categories of patients. The studies carried out in this regard mainly concern elderly people”, but there are also data in “subjects suffering from chronic pathologies with one or more comorbidities, who – recalls the expert – are more susceptible to developing low and high-grade conditions. respiratory tract. The vaccine against RSV is capable of having a marked effectiveness ranging from 85 to 95%, in preventing diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract”.
Recently, also at the Sacco hospital, an evaluation was made “on the epidemiological impact of respiratory syncytial virus infection – observes Santus – in the adult population and the prevalence of Rsv infections, which is more or less comparable to that of flu. The important aspect is that risk factors for infection are: smoking, both active and previous; chronic pathologies, in particular chronic respiratory pathologies and cardiovascular failure and the use of immunosuppressive therapies”.
Factors that instead cause a more serious pathology – with the need for hospitalization in intensive care, use of mechanical ventilation and intensive therapeutic supports – again in these subjects, “are represented by the history of smoking – details the expert – by the fact of having elevated blood sugar and elevated white blood cells at the time they are evaluated. The possibility of having vaccination for the respiratory syncytial virus available, especially in people with these risk factors – concludes Santus – would allow us to carry out an extremely important prevention activity for patients and for the healthcare system”.
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