RSV and RSV vaccination – summary for clinicians

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an enveloped, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA pneumovirus with 2 key surface glycoproteins, the fusion (F) protein and the attachment (G) protein, which are the principal targets for neutralizing antibodies and for current vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).1-4 Virology and short-lived immunity RSV comprises 2 major antigenic subgroups (A and B) with substantial genetic and antigenic variability, particularly in the G protein, whereas the pre-fusion (preF) conformation of the F protein is relatively conserved and is the central immunogen in contemporary preF-based vaccines and in nirsevimab.1-4,5,6Natural RSV infection induces only short-lived immunity and incomplete protection; both children and adults experience repeated infections throughout life, with reinfections occurring after months to a few years, a key driver of the global disease burden.1-3,7 Epidemiology and clinical aspects Globally, RSV is one of the leading causes of acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants and young children and is responsible for substantial hospitalizations...