RSV Vaccination Protects Seniors From Hospitalization

When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination for seniors in 2023, prelicensure trials were not powered to assess efficacy against RSV-associated hospitalization, excluded immunocompromised patients, and underrepresented other groups at increased risk of severe RSV disease, including adults aged 75 years and older.

A recent real-world study published by The JAMA Network Research Letter on September 4, 2024, evaluated the effectiveness (VE) of the RSV vaccine against RSV-associated hospitalization during the first season of use.

These researchers concluded VE against RSV-associated hospitalization was 75% (95% confidence interval (50% to 87%).

As of May 2024, the CDC RSVVaxView estimated that 24.4% of adults 60 and older received an RSV vaccine.

As of September 2024, three RSV vaccines are authorized for use in the United States and are readily available at most clinics and pharmacies before the 2024-2025 RSV season intensifies during the winter months.