New RSV vaccine could be game-changer

+ a star ate a planet US Edition - Today's top story: FDA's approval of the world's first vaccine against RSV will offer a new tool in an old fight – 4 questions answered [View in browser]( US Edition | 10 May 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Watching a star eat a planet for the first time]( - [Future flood protections can’t be built on past risks]( - [Looking for belonging while Black and queer in college]( Lead story Cold and flu season hit hard in the U.S. this past fall and winter, with crushing numbers of infections from respiratory viruses like flu and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, amid the ongoing threat of COVID-19. But doctors were left with little recourse for preventing or treating RSV, for which there has been no available vaccine – until now. After six decades of drug companies and researchers making circuitous attempts at developing a successful vaccine against RSV, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the world’s first RSV vaccine, with a crowded field of other candidates trailing close behind it. The vaccine, which is approved for adults ages 60 and up, [must still undergo review by an expert advisory committee]( that makes recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, explains Annette Regan, an epidemiologist who specializes in vaccines and maternal health. Pending the CDC’s greenlighting of the vaccine, it could begin going into arms in a few months, well before the typical fall and winter spike in RSV infections. In the meantime, Regan notes, the FDA will also be reviewing data on other RSV vaccine candidates, including a maternal vaccine aimed at protecting infants. [[Sign up here to our topic-specific weekly emails.](] Amanda Mascarelli Senior Health and Medicine Editor The long-awaited vaccine is a necessary tool in the fight against the most common respiratory viruses. angelp/iStock via Getty Images Plus [FDA’s approval of the world’s first vaccine against RSV will offer a new tool in an old fight – 4 questions answered]( Annette Regan, University of San Francisco The newly approved RSV vaccine could be rolled out by fall 2023, in time for the typical winter surge in RSV infections. Health + Medicine - [Disinfectants and cleaning products harboring toxic chemicals are widely used despite lack of screening for potential health hazards]( Courtney Carignan, Michigan State University Quaternary ammonium compounds, also known as QACs or quats, are commonly used antimicrobials also found in many household products. Soap and water may be a safer bet when cleaning surfaces. Economy + Business - [Passport bottleneck is holding up international travel by Americans eager to see the world as COVID-19 eases]( Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University Precautions taken in response to COVID-19 explain some but not all of the recent long delays in getting a passport. - [US debt default could trigger dollar’s collapse – and severely erode America’s political and economic might]( Michael Humphries, Touro University The mere threat of a default was enough to see the US’s credit rating downgraded in 2021. The consequences of a default actually happening could be dire, an economist warns. Ethics + Religion - [Judaism’s rituals to honor new mothers are ever-rooted, ever-changing – from medieval embroidery and prayer to new traditions today]( Lisa Fishbayn Joffe, Brandeis University Recent generations of Jewish women have looked to reinvent rituals marking the most meaningful moments in their lives, especially childbirth and motherhood. Politics + Society - [On its 75th birthday, Israel still can’t agree on what it means to be a Jewish state and a democracy]( Eran Kaplan, San Francisco State University Israel may no longer be a fledgling state – but it has yet to overcome the basic contradiction that has defined it from the very beginning. - [Imran Khan’s arrest: What it means for the former prime minister and Pakistan’s upcoming election]( Ayesha Jalal, Tufts University Protests took hold across Pakistan following the detention of the opposition leader and former cricket star – raising tensions in an election year. Environment + Energy - [Federal money is coming to fix aging flood control systems – but plans all too often reflect historical patterns and not future risks]( Antonio Arenas Amado, Iowa State University; Lu Liu, Iowa State University As federal funding for infrastructure rolls in, communities run the risk of spending millions of dollars on systems that aren’t built to handle the flood risks ahead. Education - [Black queer college students want to explore their identity – but feel excluded by both Black and LGBTQ student groups]( Michael P. Jeffries, Wellesley College The new book “Black and Queer on Campus” explores the range of experiences that Black LGBTQ students face at colleges across the US. Science + Technology - [Astronomers just saw a star eat a planet – an astrophysicist on the team explains the first-of-its-kind discovery]( Morgan MacLeod, Harvard University Stars begin to expand when they run out of fuel and can become thousands of times larger, consuming any planets in the way. For the first time, astronomers have witnessed one such event. 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