New jab could protect babies from killer winter bug, experts say
BABIES could be shielded from the common winter virus RSV by a world-first vaccine.
Scientists in Chicago say a new one-dose jab slashes hospital admissions caused by the coughing bug by 75 per cent.
RSV infects most tots in the UK before the age of two and causes around 20,000 hospital admissions every year.
There is currently no simple prevention or cure but a study revealed a yearly dose of antibodies can stave off serious infections.
Dr William Muller, of Northwestern University, said: “This has the potential to offer RSV protection for all infants, which would be a paradigm shift in the approach to this disease.”
His study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, gave the vaccine to 994 babies and compared RSV rates with 496 kids who got a placebo.
Just 1.2 per cent of vaccinated children had a chest infection that needed medical attention, compared to five per cent of those unvaccinated.
The jab, named nirsevimab and made by AstraZeneca, works by injecting cloned antibodies directly into the bloodstream to fight off RSV if it gets into the body.
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It does not give permanent immunity so could have to be given each year – but the risk of serious illness falls as children get older.
A similar vaccine already exists but it has to be given every month, up to five times a year, and is only for high-risk children.
If approved, nirsevimab could be the first RSV vaccine suitable for all babies.
Dr Conall Watson, an epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said: "For most people RSV means a common cold, but it is easily spread and is the leading cause of bronchiolitis in infants – inflammation of small airways in the lungs.
"Most cases clear up without treatment, but it can lead to hospital admissions in babies and young children, including intensive care."