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Opinion
Lisa Jarvis

Pfizer’s RSV Vaccine Succeeds Where Others Failed

Early data bodes well for the shot, which would be given during pregnancy to protect infants in the early months of life.

Being careful.

Being careful.

Photographer: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images
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As parents worry over the cases of RSV filling up pediatric hospitals in the US, finally some good news: Vaccines that protect newborns from the virus could be ready in time for next year’s season. Pfizer Inc. today unveiled promising data on a maternal RSV shot that shows it lowered babies’ risk of severe infections in those vulnerable first months of life.

The early data has some caveats, but should be celebrated as a significant advance in a field that has suffered decades of setbacks. It is also an important next step in Pfizer’s goal of becoming a leader in addressing RSV — a global market that according to Bloomberg Intelligence could be worth $10 billion in 2030.