The European Commission has approved GSK Plc 's respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for use in all adults, the drugs giant announced on Monday.
The vaccine, called Arexvy, is already authorised for people aged 60 and above, as well as for those who are aged 50 and over and are at increased risk of RSV. But the Commission has now given the drug the green light for use in all adults aged 18 plus.
An average of 158,000 adults are hospitalised due to RSV infections every year, GSK noted.
Sanjay Gurunathan, head of vaccines and infectious diseases research and development at GSK, said: "This approval helps protect all adults...in Europe against RSV, a potentially serious respiratory infection that can lead to significant illness, hospitalisation and even death, particularly for those with certain underlying health conditions."
The vaccine has been approved for individuals aged 60 and over in more than 65 countries, and for adults aged over 50 with underlying health issues in more than 60 countries.
Around 64m people of all ages are affected by RSV globally every year, GSK said.