RSV Vaccine

[SurfingDoctor]

Strong RSV vaccine data lifts hopes after years of futility

A new study suggests vaccinating pregnant women protects their newborns from the common but scary respiratory virus called RSV.

apnews.com

Interesting news. An effective RSV vaccine after so many years. One has to wonder 1) how this will change seasonal viral patterns and 2) if ever there will be vaccine fatigue. The latter maybe won’t happen but I do wonder if people are going to continually sign up for multiple booster shots for various viruses indefinitely.

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[VA Hopeful Dr]

Strong RSV vaccine data lifts hopes after years of futility

A new study suggests vaccinating pregnant women protects their newborns from the common but scary respiratory virus called RSV.

apnews.com

Interesting news. An effective RSV vaccine after so many years. One has to wonder 1) how this will change seasonal viral patterns and 2) if ever there will be vaccine fatigue. The latter maybe won’t happen but I do wonder if people are going to continually sign up for multiple booster shots for various viruses indefinitely.

I don't think this was be something you give kids for more than a few years given how the risk of severe disease drops off as kids get older.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

I don't think this was be something you give kids for more than a few years given how the risk of severe disease drops off as kids get older.

They don’t get the severe disease, but older kids and adults are the vectors.

I mean, it’s the same reason we vaccinate kids for COVID, to decrease the transmission rate to protect the vulnerable.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Strong RSV vaccine data lifts hopes after years of futility

A new study suggests vaccinating pregnant women protects their newborns from the common but scary respiratory virus called RSV.

apnews.com

Interesting news. An effective RSV vaccine after so many years. One has to wonder 1) how this will change seasonal viral patterns and 2) if ever there will be vaccine fatigue. The latter maybe won’t happen but I do wonder if people are going to continually sign up for multiple booster shots for various viruses indefinitely.

I don't think this was be something you give kids for more than a few years given how the risk of severe disease drops off as kids get older.

Huh? This is a vaccine for pregnant women to protect baby. So you would give it with pregnancy, similar to Tdap, and so there would not be any need for a "booster" vaccine for kids. But if hypothetically you wanted to, kids are already getting vaccines at 2 months, and 4 months, and 6 months, and 12 months... plenty of opportunities to squeeze in an extra shot if you're already doing it. Same as we do with the flu shot, and now with COVID shots.

Same for the idea of vaccinating seniors as the article also mentions. We already recommend that for strep pneumo and shingles. Obviously not everyone gets those recommended shots, either because of vaccine fatigue or whatever you want to call it. Ultimately these adults can make their own determination about whether they care to get vaccinated.

Given the primary endpoint is reduction of "severe disease," I would suspect that this doesn't really affect transmission (similar to the COVID vaccine). So I would not expect this to significantly change seasonal viral patterns. But who knows.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Huh? This is a vaccine for pregnant women to protect baby. So you would give it with pregnancy, similar to Tdap, and so there would not be any need for a "booster" vaccine for kids. But if hypothetically you wanted to, kids are already getting vaccines at 2 months, and 4 months, and 6 months, and 12 months... plenty of opportunities to squeeze in an extra shot if you're already doing it. Same as we do with the flu shot, and now with COVID shots.

Same for the idea of vaccinating seniors as the article also mentions. We already recommend that for strep pneumo and shingles. Obviously not everyone gets those recommended shots, either because of vaccine fatigue or whatever you want to call it. Ultimately these adults can make their own determination about whether they care to get vaccinated.

Given the primary endpoint is reduction of "severe disease," I would suspect that this doesn't really affect transmission (similar to the COVID vaccine). So I would not expect this to significantly change seasonal viral patterns. But who knows.

Well, this method in the article relies on passive immunity. But it’s pretty clear from the article, by 6 months, the efficacy drops rather precipitously, which isn’t really surprising. Plus, we have plenty of infants and toddlers out of the neonatal period who get severe disease… well at least enough to end up in the ICU. Also, vaccines reduced missed school days, work days, etc.

So then it becomes the question, like with every viral vaccine we have with efficacy that wanes, who should get the shots. Based on COVID and the prior Influenza pandemic in the late 2000s, my guess will be that the recommendation will come down that everyone should be vaccinated.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Well, this method in the article relies on passive immunity. But it’s pretty clear from the article, by 6 months, the efficacy drops rather precipitously, which isn’t really surprising. Plus, we have plenty of infants and toddlers out of the neonatal period who get severe disease… well at least enough to end up in the ICU. Also, vaccines reduced missed school days, work days, etc.

So then it becomes the question, like with every viral vaccine we have with efficacy that wanes, who should get the shots. Based on COVID and the prior Influenza pandemic in the late 2000s, my guess will be that the recommendation will come down that everyone should be vaccinated.

Actually if you go to the press release, there was not a precipitous drop. 81.8% (CI 40.6-96.3%) at 90 days, vs. 69.4 (CI 44.3-84.1%), so by just about any definition statistically the same. It looks like there are some secondary outcome measures that will look at 360 days of age so I suppose we will see whether there is any change at that time point. I think it will be a while before these are in pediatric trials, or any discussion about a booster (though these questions should be asked at the appropriate time).

An important factor that I hope will be discussed in the publication is the fact that this trial occurred from June 2020-fall 2022. As we all know, these last few years were not "typical" RSV seasons. I'm curious how they will address this fact.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Kinda relevant to this thread. I know several of the people quoted in the article, which is just more humerous to me than anything.

The Worst Pediatric-Care Crisis in Decades

An early, massive wave of RSV, flu, and other viral infections is slamming kids and overcrowding emergency departments.

www.theatlantic.com

I am pro-vaccine and pro-mask, not pro-home/virtual school. But the repercussions of those acts has been interesting to say the least.