As per researchers, the very first human trial of a new vaccine to prevent Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a leading cause of serious illness in babies, has been successful. RSV affects two-thirds of babies in their first year and is a major cause of hospitalization in UK.

As per experts, RSV is more dangerous in kids those born prematurely or with other respiratory problems. It can also cause severe illness in healthy infants as well and is responsible for one in six admissions of children to hospital in winter months.

The virus has been ranked second after malaria as a killer of children below the age group of one. A vaccine to prevent the virus was sought way back, but its results got hampered by trials in the 1960s when immunized children had extreme reactions when they faced with the infection.

The latest vaccine, developed and initially tested by biotechnology firm Reithera, uses genetic engineering to trick the immune system into thinking that it is dealing with RSV.

It is said that the ‘viral vector’ technology is the similar to one used in the new Ebola vaccines. It contains a harmless virus that cannot cause illness, and which has been modified to produce some RSV proteins on its surface, the journal Science Translational Medicine reports.

Oxford University researchers tested two candidates for the study, one using a chimpanzee cold virus never before used in humans and the other a harmless pox virus in 42 adult volunteers.

The tests with a nasal spray and injection were found to be safe and produced an immune response. Furthermore, the team is planning to embark on tests of another vaccine using the same technology that is being specifically designed for use in children.