public health and unmet medical needs

Failing to protect vulnerable populations against common viral diseases has a significant impact on healthcare systems and society.

Vaccines, available for many but not all viral infections, remain a vital way to prevent infections, severe illness and death. However, vaccination does not adequately protect certain groups of vulnerable people against viral diseases. People can be immunocompromised for many reasons, including treatment for cancer, following organ transplant or due to other ongoing treatments with immunosuppressive drugs. Further, the likelihood of severe illness from an infection increases with age, with adults over 65 at increased risk. New-born babies can also be particularly vulnerable to infections as their immune system is immature and, chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart and lung diseases may increase the risk of serious illness from viruses.

Two distinct groups of virus infections pose problems for immunocompromised people, acute respiratory infections and reactivation of persistent virus infections that are normally well controlled by the immune system. In all cases severe disease, hospitalizations and death can result. Even before the arrival of SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19, lung disease was projected to be one of the top three leading causes of death globally out to 2060. Respiratory infections  on top of other lung diseases can also have grave consequences.