Many U.S. Seniors Do Not Intend to Vaccinate Against RSV

WEDNESDAY, March 13, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Many U.S. seniors do not intend to vaccinate against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the 2023 to 2024 season, according to a study published online Jan. 19 in Health Affairs Scholar.

Simon F. Haeder, Ph.D., from Texas A&M University in College Station, queried Americans older than age 60 years about their RSV vaccination status and their intention to vaccinate this fall and winter in a large national survey.

Haeder found that 9 percent of those surveyed had already been vaccinated; 42 percent of those who were unvaccinated indicated their intent to vaccinate. The likelihood of seeking out vaccinations was increased for those with higher levels of concern for the disease, higher levels of self-assessed risk, and higher levels of trust in health institutions; those believing the vaccines were safe and important; and men. Lack of necessity, concerns about side effects and safety, and a lack of information were primary reasons for vaccine-hesitant respondents.

“Policymakers ought to respond to these findings by implementing evidence-based policies that increase vaccination rates in the immediate as well as long-term future,” Haeder writes. “These efforts should focus on highlighting the safety and importance of vaccines as well as the potential risks to individuals who fail to vaccinate.”

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