Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) made headlines this winter for its role in the tripledemic that, together with COVID-19 and flu, slammed many U.S. hospitals. But now there’s some good news related to RSV: On May 3, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its first-ever approval to a vaccine that protects against the dangerous condition.

Each year, RSV is associated with 6,000 to 10,000 deaths of U.S. adults 65 and older, and as many as 160,000 hospitalizations for that vulnerable group. It also kills hundreds of children under the age of 5.

“This is immensely satisfying,” says Ann Falsey, MD, a University of Rochester School of Medicine professor of medicine who has been pursuing an RSV vaccine for decades. “In science, even if you don’t make it across the finish line, you may feel like you contributed. But to actually see these products close to coming to market is huge.”

There are actually two RSV vaccines in the pipeline. The vaccine that was just approved by the FDA was developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and is targeted to adults 60 and older. Next, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will weigh in on whether to recommend the vaccine, and that’s expected to happen in June. The FDA is also expected to rule shortly on a Pfizer vaccine for that population. In addition, Pfizer has been granted priority review of a vaccine for use in pregnant people that’s intended to protect their infants after birth.