Trial for first ever joint vaccine for respiratory illnesses
- 12 July 2024
- 1 min read
A trial has been launched in Oxford into the first ever vaccine for two respiratory illnesses which can lead to serious breathing difficulties.
The NIHR-supported University of Oxford study is for the first ever vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV). A second vaccine will also be trialled for RSV alone in infants aged five to eight months old.
Globally, RSV infects up to 90% of children within the first two years of life and frequently reinfects older children and adults. For most people, RSV causes a mild respiratory illness however in some infants, RSV can cause bronchiolitis which leads to the inflammation of the small airways and significant breathing difficulties.
In the UK approximately 1 in 50 children under one year of age are admitted to hospital due to RSV infections. Closely related to RSV, hMPV is associated with illnesses from mild infection to severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Dr Simon Drysdale, Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology at the Oxford Vaccine Group, and Principal Investigator on the study, said: “RSV and hMPV are two of the leading causes of respiratory infections in children, the elderly and immunocompromised patients worldwide. This trial is an important early step in the development of a paediatric vaccine against RSV and hMPV.”
The Rhyme study is looking to enrol approximately 60 participants between five and eight months old, across seven sites in the UK, including at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital. Parental consent is required.
