The European Commission released a communiqu é on the evening of the 6th, stating that it approved the launch of the first respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, Arexvy, in the EU to protect people aged 60 and above from lower respiratory tract infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus. The communique stated that the number of respiratory syncytial virus infections in EU countries increased last winter, so people are particularly looking forward to the decision to approve the Arexvy vaccine for marketing in the EU. Considering that it is of great public health interest to prevent respiratory syncytial virus infection in the elderly, the European Commission has accelerated the vaccine approval process in accordance with the accelerated evaluation mechanism of the European Medicines Agency. Kiriakis, a member of the European Commission responsible for health and food safety affairs, expressed the hope that EU member states will quickly develop national vaccination strategies to enable high-risk populations to receive Arexvy vaccine before the arrival of autumn. The communique states that respiratory syncytial virus is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild symptoms similar to a cold. Most people will recover within one to two weeks, but the elderly and people with basic diseases such as lung disease, heart disease and diabetes are at serious risk. It is estimated that respiratory syncytial virus infection causes 250000 hospitalizations and 17000 hospital deaths annually among people aged 65 and above in Europe. Arexvy vaccine is produced by GSK plc. The company released a statement on the 7th stating that this is the first respiratory syncytial virus vaccine approved by the European Union for the elderly, and the first batch of vaccines is expected to be launched before the fall of this year. In May of this year, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the launch of Arexvy vaccine in the United States, which is applicable to people aged 60 and above. (New News Agency)