Respiratory viral collide vaccine (RSV) produced by Pfizer Group (USA). The vaccine is prescribed for women from week 24-36 to transmit passive antibodies, protect newborns in the first 6 months of life and for people aged 60 and over.
Doctor Bach Thi Chinh, Medical Director, VNVC Vaccination System, said that according to studies, RSV is a malicious virus that causes pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchitis, and serious respiratory failure, causing young children and the elderly to be hospitalized but there is no specific treatment. Children with RSV face long-term sequelae such as wheezing, asthma, and impaired lung function. In the elderly, RSV can aggravate chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, liver, kidneys, chronic lungs, diabetes, etc., increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
The RSV vaccine was first launched in 2023, as of September 2025, the vaccine has been approved for use in more than 60 countries and included in the national vaccination program in many countries, for use in pregnant women, the elderly and people with underlying diseases. After many years of waiting, Vietnam has had an RSV vaccine for pregnant mothers and the elderly.
Pfizer's RSV vaccine applies recombined protein technology targeting two of the most common and dangerous groups, RSV-A and RSV-B. The vaccine is indicated for single doses for pregnant women from the 24-36th week of pregnancy and adults aged 60 and over.
In the coming time, VNVC will continue to make efforts to import more vaccines and single antibodies of the RSV class from the world's leading vaccine and pharmaceutical corporations, in order to expand opportunities to protect young children and adults, Dr. Chinh emphasized.
Data shows that RSV vaccination during pregnancy helps reduce the risk of children with severe respiratory infections requiring medical attention in the first 90 days of life by 81.8% and maintain a protective effect of 69.4% to 6 months. For the elderly, the vaccine shows an effectiveness of up to 88.9% reducing the risk of lower respiratory infections caused by RSV in the first year after vaccination and maintaining long-term protection compared to the non-vingrating group.
Coming to VNVC Hoang Van Thu, Ho Chi Minh City to get vaccinated against RSV, Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Thao, Gia Dinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, pregnant at 24 weeks, said that studying RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization and severe complications in children, especially from birth to 6 months old. Luckily, Vietnam has an RSV vaccine and I am at the right gestational age to be vaccinated, helping my child protect him right from birth, Ms. Thao shared.
RSV spreads rapidly through the respiratory tract when inhaled or exposed to virus-containing drops on surfaces such as tables, chairs, floors, bed sheets, etc. Children with RSV often have symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and crying. The disease can develop unexpectedly, causing children to have high fever, convulsions, purple purple, stopping feeding, breastfeeding quickly, chest tightness, respiratory failure and leading to death. About 70% of children are infected with RSV in their first year and most of them are infected with RSV before the age of 2.
WHO estimates that each year, RSV causes 3.6 million RSV-related hospitalizations and about 100,000 RSV deaths in children under 5 years old worldwide, nearly 50% of RSV deaths occurring in children under 6 months old.
In Vietnam, RSV virus circulates all year round and epidemics during the rainy season. Every year, hospitals record many children hospitalized for pneumonia, bronchitis and deaths from RSV. Research at hospitals shows that RSV accounts for 51-78% of hospitalizations, most of which are children under 12 months old. More than 70% of children hospitalized for RSV are born after a full month and are healthy, not only in the group of pre-born or with underlying diseases.
Experts have previously assessed that Vietnam often only has access to many vaccines after decades of use in the world. VNVC's cooperation with global vaccine company Pfizer to bring RSV vaccine to Vietnam after only 2 years when this vaccine was widely used in the world once again demonstrates VNVC's pioneering role in the field of vaccination in Vietnam and the great advance of domestic preventive medicine, opening up opportunities for early and effective protection for children and the elderly against the burdens caused by RSV.
VNVC is the leading vaccination system in Vietnam with more than 240 centers nationwide, serving millions of customers each year. For nearly 10 years, VNVC has brought to Vietnam more than 20 new vaccines, many of which were deployed for the first time, such as dengue fever vaccine, shingles vaccine, new-generation whooping cough vaccine and advanced technology motopathogens.
In May, VNVC started construction of a modern Vaccine and Food Factory with a total initial investment of more than VND 2,000 billion, meeting the international GMP standards of WHO, EU and FDA. The factory is oriented to become a center for research, production and distribution of modern vaccines and health products in the region, contributing to strengthening national health security.
