CDC updates RSV vaccination recommendations for adults

CDC now recommends that older adults who were not immunized against RSV last year, when vaccines first became available, do so late this summer or early this fall ahead of the upcoming RSV season.

CDC’s ACIP voted unanimously to recommend all adults aged 75 years and older receive a single dose of any RSV vaccine, and adults aged 60 to 74 years who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease receive a vaccine.

Previous guidance, which the new recommendations supplant, suggested shared decision making between adults aged 60 years and older and their health care provider in receiving the RSV vaccination.

“CDC has updated its RSV vaccination recommendations for older adults to prioritize those at highest risk for serious illness from RSV,” said Mandy Cohen, MD, CDC director, in a CDC press release. “People 75 or older, or between 60–74 with certain chronic health conditions or living in a nursing home should get one dose of the RSV vaccine to provide an extra layer of protection.”

CDC updated its recommendations based on cost-effectiveness and vaccine efficacy research plus analyses of disease burden in older adults. The RSV vaccine currently is not administered on an annual basis; therefore, anyone who was immunized in 2023 is still covered. In other words, those who received the RSV vaccine should not receive a booster. Data show that another dose does did not improve outcomes.