August 7, 2024 – The CDC released updated recommendations for older adults detailing who to vaccinate against Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
The latest advice narrows the advice on who should receive the vaccine, stating that “the benefits of RSV vaccination do not clearly outweigh the potential harm in adults aged 60 to 74 years without risk factors for severe RSV disease.”
The move will happen after Issue Earlier this yr, it was suggested that RSV vaccination could also be related to an increased risk of a rare nervous system disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The CDC advisory committee that updated the recommendations called for further research on the problem, including a full safety evaluation incorporating data from essentially the most recent first full RSV season.
The RSV vaccination is now advisable for everybody aged 75 and over. People aged between 60 and 74 who're at increased risk of developing severe disease from RSV must also be vaccinated.
These criteria are a change from last yr, when all people aged 60 and over were eligible. The revision, which was approved by an advisory committee earlier this yr, was officially published Wednesday in a widely read weekly CDC report.
For most individuals, especially younger people, RSV often causes mild symptoms similar to a runny nose, cold, cough and headache. But as much as 160,000 older adults are hospitalized for RSV every year, and as much as 10,000 die from complications. The likelihood of needing medical treatment for RSV infection increases with age and is highest in people age 70 and older, in response to a recent study. Summary published within the journal Medicines and aging.
“These updated recommendations aim to maximize RSV vaccination coverage among those most likely to benefit by clarifying who is most at risk and by reducing barriers to implementation,” the CDC report says, noting particularly that one challenge was last yr's advice that RSV vaccines mustn't be administered until patients had a shared decision-making discussion with their physician. The report states: “Shared clinical decision-making has drawbacks. Providers find implementation confusing and time-consuming.”
Last season, vaccination rates were only barely higher amongst individuals with chronic diseases in comparison with adults without these diseases.
People aged 60 to 74 years could also be in danger for severe RSV infection in the event that they have any of the next conditions: 11 Risk factorsincluding heart disease, living in a nursing home, frailty or severe obesity. People ages 60 to 74 who want an RSV vaccine can simply attest that they've one in all those risk aspects and don't need to offer documentation, the brand new policy says. If someone doesn't explicitly meet one in all the 11 risk aspects, a provider can still determine that the person is at high risk.
The report also noted that individuals ought to be made aware of the potential but small risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome following vaccination.
Clinical trial results have shown that vaccination could reduce the chance of significant RSV complications by as much as 94%. Some early estimates of first-season effectiveness in stopping hospitalizations ranged from 75% to 82% in people ages 60 and older, in response to this latest CDC report.
At the start of May, an estimated 24% of adults aged 60 and over reported are getting vaccinated against RSV, and one other 11% said they definitely plan to get vaccinated. This uptake rate is usually considered low by health authorities. There are actually RSV vaccines from three manufacturers: Arexvy from GSK, Abrysvo from Pfizer and mResvia from Moderna.
Adults who've already been vaccinated against RSV don't need a second dose this season, the rules say, because one shot provides protection for 2 seasons. Whether additional doses can be needed in the longer term can be discussed at future advisory committee meetings.
“Eligible adults who have not yet received RSV vaccination can be vaccinated any time of year, but vaccination has the greatest benefit when given in late summer or early fall, just before the RSV season,” the report said. “In most of the continental United States, this equates to vaccination in August-October.”