“RSV is a common and pervasive cause of acute respiratory illness that is highly contagious and usually affects an individual’s lungs and airways,” said Bill Gruber, MD, Senior Vice President of Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research and Development. i “It can occur in people of all ages, but the risk of serious infection increases in older adults and for those with chronic heart or lung disease or weakened immune systems. For older adults, RSV is a leading cause of moderate to severe respiratory illness. ii In the United States, it is estimated that more than 177,000 adults over the age of 65 are hospitalized and 14,000 of them die each year due to RSV,” he added. i The disease burden of RSV in children is also staggering. Globally, there are an estimated 33 million cases of RSV annually in children less than 5 years of age, with about 3 million hospitalized and up to approximately 120,000 dying each year from complications associated with the infection. iii Given the influx of circul