Researchers have now found that the vaccine against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) can prevent hospitalization in a significant majority of older adults and immunocompromised individuals.

The latest study published in the Lancet journal analyzed the effectiveness of the RSV vaccine in U.S. adults aged 60 and older using large-scale data from 36,706 patients. The researchers looked at hospital and emergency room visits for RSV-like illnesses between October 2023 and March 2024 across eight U.S. states. They then compared vaccination rates between patients who tested positive for RSV and those who tested negative while adjusting for factors like age, sex, race, underlying health conditions, and location. There were 3,275 vaccinated patients in the study.

The analysis showed that the RSV vaccine is highly effective, reducing the risk of hospitalization due to infection complications by 80%. Even among typically more vulnerable immunocompromised individuals, the vaccine was 73% effective at preventing hospitalization.

"No vaccine is 100 percent effective. An 80 percent vaccine effectiveness rate is quite impressive and higher than we see, for example, with the influenza vaccine," study co-author, Brian Dixon said in a statement.

"The bottom line is that using real-world data from electronic medical records routinely captured in care for people from diverse walks of life we found that having the vaccine was highly protective against hospitalization, severe illness and death," Dixon said.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, everyone aged 75 and older is recommended to take at least one dose of the RSV vaccine, while adults aged 60 to 74 should consider it if they are at higher risk of severe RSV. This includes individuals with chronic heart or lung diseases, severe obesity, weakened immune systems, certain diabetes conditions, or those living in nursing homes.

To protect infants from severe RSV, two options are available: Pfizer's Abrysvo vaccine given to pregnant women or an RSV antibody treatment given to infants after birth.

As of October 5, 2024, the CDC estimates that 36.9% of adults aged 75 and older have received an RSV vaccine. Among adults aged 60 to 74 with high-risk conditions for RSV, about 29% have been vaccinated.

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