CDC recommends RSV vaccine for adults age 60 and older

Americans age 60 and older can get a single dose of an RSV vaccine following a conversation with their doctor, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended Thursday.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, in one of her final acts before leaving her position at the end of the month, officially endorsed the recommendation that an outside advisory panel made last week.

After decades without any RSV shots, there are now two that were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in May— one from Pfizer, and one from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). 

The new vaccines are expected to be available this fall, the CDC said. 

“These vaccines provide an opportunity to help protect older adults against severe RSV illness at a time when multiple respiratory infections are likely to circulate,” according to a CDC statement. 

RSV circulation is seasonal, typically starting during fall and peaking in winter. The vaccine is expected to be available before the start of the next RSV season.

Both companies last week presented data to a CDC panel showing the single dose remained effective through at least one RSV season. GSK said a single dose worked through two full seasons, explicitly adding that a second dose did not appear to confer any additional efficacy.

In healthy adults and older children, RSV typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms that go away with moderate rest and self-care.

But older adults, including those with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes and chronic heart and lung disease, are at increased risk of severe RSV illness and drive the majority of RSV hospitalizations.

RSV causes between 60,000 and 160,000 hospitalizations annually for adults older than 65 in the U.S. and 6,000 to 13,000 deaths, according to federal statistics.

Once the vaccines hit the market, accessibility will be a major factor in uptake. GSK said earlier this month it would price its RSV shot within a range of $200 to $295. Pfizer said it could price its shot between $180 to $270, though that was not guaranteed.