Vaccination against bronchiolitis in adults: Argentina was the second country in the world with the most volunteers recruited in the study.
The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine approved in 2023 achieved an efficacy of efficacy of 85,7%. This figure is the result of a Phase III study called Renoir by Pfizer, aimed at adults over 60 years of age. over 60 years of agewhich included 37,000 participants worldwideof which more than 8 thousand attended the Hospital Militar Central in Buenos Aires..
The design of this study was randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled. This means that half of the patients randomly received the investigational vaccine and the remaining half a placebo (physiological solution), without physicians or participants knowing which substance was administered to which individual. This method is used to ensure impartiality in the evaluation of the results.
According to The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the world's leading medical journals, Pfizer's bronchiolitis vaccine showed an overall efficacy of 66.7%, rising to 85.7% in severe cases in older adults, with good tolerance and without affecting safety.
The development of this vaccine was a historic event, as it is the first time in more than 50 years of research that immunization against RSV has been obtained, and Team Science was the second site with the second largest number of volunteers enrolled worldwide.
RSV causes a high burden of disease worldwide and causes seasonal epidemics of respiratory illness. RSV infections not only threaten young children, but each season cause significant morbidity and mortality in older adults and adults of any age with pre-existing disease. RSV infections can pose significant threats to the health of older adults and affect their daily activities and quality of life.
This virus in Argentina has seasonal circulation, predominating between autumn and early spring with peaks that vary in their appearance, but frequently occur between May and July.
Protecting people over 60 years of age is very important, as they are at the highest risk of presenting serious complications secondary to lower lung disease or respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia. They also have a higher incidence of heart attacks, worsening of previous conditions, heart failure, lung damage and death.
