Vaccination against RSV

Abstract

The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of lower respiratory tract illness (LRI) in infants worldwide. Also persons with heart/lung disease or an immunodeficiency disorder, and the elderly are at increased risk for severe LRI upon RSV infection. Although there is at present no licensed RSV vaccine available, it is a priority target for several vaccine developers. For the implementation of a future RSV vaccination within national immunization schemes, various strategies can be considered even without the availability of extended clinical data on RSV vaccines. For this purpose, the extensive knowledge on RSV with respect to disease pathology, epidemiology and immunology can be used. This article discusses different aspects that should be considered to enable a successful implementation of a new RSV vaccine in national immunization programs. In addition, gaps in knowledge that needs further attention are identified. The maternal immunization strategy is highlighted, but also vaccination in the youngest infants and specific risk group immunization strategies are evaluated in this paper. Key factors such as the seasonality of RSV disease, interference of maternal antibodies and the immaturity of the infants’ immune system are addressed.

Keywords: :

• RSV
• vaccination strategy
• immunology
• maternal immunization
• infant immunization
• risk groups
• seasonality

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Authors’ Contributions

P.K. drafted the outline and the text of the manuscript. W.L., expert of virology, has contributed to the intellectual content with respect to the virology and disease pathology of RSV. N.R., clinical vaccinologist, gave critical input regarding the clinical study data and different immunization strategies. All authors were actively involved in reviewing the content and editing the text of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.