Photo Credit: Peter Hansen

The following is a summary of “Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F Vaccination: Antibody Persistence and Revaccination,” published in the April 2024 issue of Infectious Diseases by Walsh et al.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant cause of respiratory illness. A vaccine called bivalent RSV prefusion F (RSVpreF) has been approved for people over 60.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study evaluating the antibody’s persistence after the first RSVpreF vaccine and the safety and immunogenicity of revaccination.

They used healthy adults to receive both the initial vaccination and the second shot, a year apart, with either a placebo or RSVpreF 240 µg (±AI(OH)₃). The RSV-A and RSV-B geometric mean neutralizing titers (GMTs) were measured for a year after each shot and checked for any side effects. 

The results showed 263 patients revaccinated between 18-49 years old (n=134)  and 65 – 85 (n=129), GM fold rises (GMFRs) after the first RSVpreF shot (RSV-A: 13.3 – 20.4 and RSV_B: 8.9 – 15.5), then 12 months later decreased (4.1 – 5.0 and 2.6 – 4.1). GMFRs  1 month after revaccination compared with levels before (1.4 – 2.3 and 1.4 – 2.2) for 18-49-year-olds and 65-85 year-olds. Peak GMT after the second shot was lower than the initial vaccinations. GMTs 12 months after initial vaccination and revaccination were similar, with GMFRs ranging from 0.7 – 1.6. No safety signals occurred. 

Investigators concluded that RSVpreF vaccination could elicit an immune response and be well-tolerated among adults. 

Source: academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiae185/7644684