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Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made some important updates to its guidance on who should receive the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine.[1] RSV is a common respiratory virus.[2] In most people it only causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but it can be dangerous for infants younger than 6 months and for older adults. Severe RSV infection can lead to hospitalization and mechanical ventilation.
In 2023 the Food and Drug Administration approved two...
Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made some important updates to its guidance on who should receive the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine.[1] RSV is a common respiratory virus.[2] In most people it only causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but it can be dangerous for infants younger than 6 months and for older adults. Severe RSV infection can lead to hospitalization and mechanical ventilation.
In 2023 the Food and Drug Administration approved two vaccines (AREXVY and ABRYSVO) to prevent RSV infections in adults ages 60 and older.[3] Abrysvo can also be administered to pregnant persons between weeks 32 and 36 of pregnancy to protect infants from RSV infection until they are 6 months of age.[4]
At a June 2024 meeting, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) updated its recommendations for which older adults should receive an RSV vaccine.[5] ACIP’s new guidelines state that all adults aged 75 years or older should receive one dose of an RSV vaccine, and adults aged 60-75 years who are at increased risk of severe disease (including those with chronic heart or lung disease, those with weakened immune systems and those with certain underlying health conditions such as diabetes)[6] should also receive one dose. Accordingly, the new recommendations replace ACIP’s previous suggestion that adults aged 60-74 years without increased RSV risk might receive a vaccine. The new CDC guidance instead states that RSV vaccination is not recommended for such low-risk patients before age 75 years.
If you are 75 years or older and you have not already been vaccinated against RSV, you should receive a dose of one of the approved vaccines. If you are between the ages of 60 and 74 years, consult your clinician about your eligibility for the RSV vaccines. The CDC is still finalizing its list of risk factors that qualify people in this age group for the vaccine.[7] Currently, RSV vaccination in adults 75 years of age or older is expected to last their lifetimes. Still, the best time to get the vaccination is late summer or early fall in anticipation of the cold and flu season.
References
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP recommendations. Updated June 28, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/recommendations.html. Accessed September 2, 2024.
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About RSV. June 5, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/index.html. Accessed September 3, 2024.
[3] Worst Pills, Best Pills News. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines for adults ages 60 and older and to protect newborns. January 2024. https://www.worstpills.org/newsletters/view/1576. Accessed September 1, 2024.
[4] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Immunizations to protect infants. June 5, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/immunizations-protect-infants/index.html. Accessed September 1, 2024.
[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP recommendations. Updated June 28, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/recommendations.html. Accessed September 2, 2024.
[6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RSV in adults. July 3, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/older-adults/index.html. Accessed August 28, 2024.
[7] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP recommendations. Updated June 28, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/recommendations.html. Accessed September 28, 2024.
