Pamela G. Rockwell, D.O., assistant professor, is now the American Academy of Family Physicians’ representative on a new Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) workgroup. The workgroup was developed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to examine RSV disease and the data on immunoprophylaxis options.
The burden of RSV is increasing, and the options for passive antibody protection may soon exist. Vaccines for RSV are currently under study. Dr. Rockwell and this national workgroup will gather safety and efficacy data to aid in the development of evidence-based recommendations for future RSV vaccine recommendations to the ACIP.
Through her role with AAFP, Dr. Rockwell also attended a roundtable conference presented by the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases group to discuss RSV and ways to raise awareness of the burden of RSV in older adults. The final report summarizing that discussion is soon to be published.
“It has been a great learning experience so far to be a part of this group and I am excited to be on the forefront of future RSV vaccine recommendations and guidelines. We commonly think of RSV as a pathogen of young children, but what is often overlooked is the burden of disease RSV presents to adults, especially older adults with chronic lung disease,” noted Dr. Rockwell
In addition to her work with RSV, she also sits on the ACIP workgroup for Hepatitis, which is working to develop new and updated recommendations for the hepatitis A and B vaccines.
