RSV vaccine with added boost proves effective against new variants

Editor's Note

A new vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been found to be effective against a range of variants, according to an August 2023 Science Translational Medicine research article titled, "The RSVPreF3-AS01 vaccine elicits broad neutralization of contemporary and antigenically distant respiratory syncytial virus strains." This research was conducted in Belgium and involved animals and antibody samples from older human adults.

A positive antibody response against the virus was particularly evident when the vaccine was combined with an adjuvant, or an added ingredient, to boost the immune response. Only one RSV vaccine is currently approved—RSVPreF3. The one in the study is called RSVPreF3-AS01, and it has the AS01 adjuvant added to the formulation. 

RSV is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract diseases in young children and older adults, noted the authors. Seasonal viruses are beginning to circulate in the Northern hemisphere, including RSV and flu, which worries public health officials in light of rising COVID-19 cases and variants. This research's findings indicate that this approved RSV vaccine with the added adjuvant boost could offer ongoing protection against current RSV strains and future variants.