A jab aimed at reducing thousands of deaths and hospital admissions among the elderly has been approved for use in the UK.
Regulators have given the green light for the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for older adults.
RSV is a very common infection and leads to an estimated 175,000 GP visits, 14,000 hospital admissions, and 8,000 deaths among people aged over 60 in the UK every year.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved GSK’s jab, known as Arexvy, for use among older adults.
It comes after a trial showed the jab had a high level of efficacy and that the vaccine is generally well tolerated.
Neale Belson, senior vice president, and UK general manager at GSK said: “We are very excited by today’s announcement.
“Our ambition is to help protect adults 60 years of age and older in the UK who are at risk from RSV disease, including those with underlying medical conditions, who drive the majority of RSV hospitalisations.
“This authorisation for Arexvy means eligible adults can be vaccinated against RSV disease for the first time, reinforcing GSK’s long history of vaccine innovation.”
Arexvy has recently been approved for use by US and European regulators.
