RSV/6120/ΔNS2/1030s, an intranasal spray vaccine to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was immunogenic in 6 to 24-month-old RSV-seronegative children, but caused rhinorrhea, or runny nose. Phase 1 trial results of the vaccine, given as a single dose, are published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
The live attenuated vaccine contains a deletion of the interferon antagonist NS2 gene. It was developed by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the National Institute of Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The current study was small, enrolling 15 RSV-seropositive children (10 vaccinees, 5 placebo recipients) and 30 RSV-seronegative infants (20 vaccinees, 10 placebo recipients).
Runny nose was common in 90% of vaccine recipients, compared to just 50% in the placebo group. All episodes of runny nose were labeled grade 1 severity.
Of note, there was one episode of lower reparatory infection among the vaccine recipients, which the authors said was a potential safety signal.