The vaccine isn't new. The earliest versions of the vaccine were unsuccessful and actually lethal in a few cases, and that was in the 1960's. There were other unsuccessful attempts on both adults and children vaccines. Several attempts over a few decades, with new information being utilized to improve on the previous version, from different scientists, and different laboratories, and completely different studies with different patients.
The current version is the result of a vaccine study that was supposed to begin in 2019, but then COVID showed up and the race was on to create an emergency vaccine for that, and the RSV vaccine study had to be shelved, after the initial trials had already been completed. The next set of trials for the RSV vaccine started around 2020, by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Enter - me. I was in that trial. I'm a test subject, a guinea pig for the vaccine. I've had two shots, and was supposed to get a third but the studies proved that a second shot within a 2-year period didn't show enough improvement in odds to warrant that second shot, so they cancelled the third. The first shot was proven effective, and they're going to be testing some of the subjects who received the 2nd shot, somewhere around year 4 to see if subsequent shots are necessary or helpful.
But they were already proven safe, which is why the FDA approved it for use. I just had bloodwork done this week, and will finish out the year with bi-weekly calls starting in October since that's when the main RSV season begins. I get paid for each call, and extra for bloodwork. If I feel like I have a cold, flu, or any related symptoms that I can't attribute to my usual allergies, then I have to go in for a physical and swab, and I get paid for that too.
I -could- get the actual RSV shot any time, now that it's FDA approved. But if I do, then I am automatically disqualified from completing my contribution as a test subject in the trial. I've chosen to finish out the trial, and will likely get the shot next year.
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