UK expands RSV defenses! Pfizer Inc. (PFE.US) RSV vaccine coverage extended from 75 years to over 80 years.

The vaccine product developed by the American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. (PFE.US) for the prevention of a potentially highly dangerous respiratory infection disease will be provided to an additional 3 million people in England through the country's National Health Service (NHS). It is understood that all adults aged 80 and above in England will be eligible to receive the vaccine called Abrysvo to prevent Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which can cause severe bronchitis and pneumonia. The decision announced on Thursday is a comprehensive expansion of the existing program, which previously covered the population aged 75 to 79. The UK National Health Security Agency stated that new clinical research evidence shows that vaccination with this vaccine can reduce the risk of hospitalization due to the infection by approximately 75%. The UK authorities initially chose Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine to protect both the elderly and infant population in the country, which is seen as a snub to the domestic pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline plc Sponsored ADR and Astrazeneca PLC Sponsored ADR. GlaxoSmithKline plc Sponsored ADR introduced a competitive vaccine for the elderly in the UK, while Astrazeneca PLC Sponsored ADR introduced a drug to protect infants from RSV. In the UK NHS system, Pfizer Inc.'s Abrysvo is currently the only approved RSV vaccine product for both the "elderly program" and the "infant protection program; however, the infant protection program is not directly administered to infants. It is given to pregnant women to protect newborns through maternal antibodies, by vaccinating pregnant women from 28 weeks onwards. Other related products do not undertake these two programs in the same way in the NHS; Astrazeneca PLC Sponsored ADR in the UK corresponds to infant protection drugs, while GlaxoSmithKline plc Sponsored ADR's Arexvy is a competitor for the elderly. The RSV vaccine is crucial for the elderly population and is considered a key component of the respiratory prevention system for the elderly. According to the CDC, there are approximately 110,000 to 180,000 hospitalizations of adults aged 50 and above due to RSV each year in the United States, and the risk of severe illness significantly increases with age; therefore, the CDC currently recommends RSV vaccination for all adults aged 75 and above, as well as high-risk individuals aged 50 to 74. One of the important reasons the UK has expanded the age group for the Pfizer Inc. Abrysvo vaccine from 75-79 to over 80 is based on the new evidence showing a 75% reduction in the risk of hospitalization due to RSV after vaccination. There are currently three vaccines approved in the US market for preventing lower respiratory tract diseases caused by RSV in elderly adults: Pfizer Inc. Abrysvo, GlaxoSmithKline plc Sponsored ADR Arexvy, and Moderna mRESVIA. Abrysvo is undoubtedly in the top tier, as clinical data disclosed by the FDA shows that Abrysvo reduces the risk of RSV-related lower respiratory tract diseases by 66.7% (defined as 2 symptoms) and 85.7% (defined as 3 symptoms) in elderly adults. Pfizer Inc. subsequently announced that the protective efficacy for "3 symptoms of RSV lower respiratory tract disease" remains as high as 77.8% after two seasons.