British pharmaceutical giant GSK has received the green light from the European Commission to sell its Arexvy vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes bronchiolitis and pneumonia, Agerpres reports.

The authorization is granted to people over the age of 60, according to a GSK press release published on Wednesday and quoted by AFP.

Last month, the vaccine was approved for sale in the United States, also for people over 60.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave its approval last month, but a final decision from the European Commission is still awaited.

“This is the first time that a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine has been approved for sale in Europe,” GSK said, and vaccinations will begin by autumn.

According to GSK, the virus causes “over 270,000 hospitalizations and around 20,000 in-hospital deaths” among older people in Europe each year.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a very common and highly contagious virus that causes bronchiolitis (an infection of the lower respiratory tract) in young children during the cold season, but also affects adults and can be dangerous for the elderly when it develops into respiratory infection (bronchiolitis or pneumonia).

The virus is the leading cause of hospitalization in children under one year of age, but it also affects adults and the elderly.

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