RSV Vaccination Prevents Associated Hospitalization, Emergency Encounters

THURSDAY, Nov. 7, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For adults aged 60 years or older, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination is effective for preventing associated hospitalizations and emergency department encounters, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in The Lancet.

Amanda B. Payne, Ph.D., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues assessed the effectiveness of RSV vaccines against RSV-associated hospitalizations and emergency department encounters among adults aged 60 years or older who underwent virus testing from Oct. 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

The researchers found that vaccine effectiveness was 80 and 81 percent against RSV-associated hospitalizations and against RSV-associated critical illness among 28,271 hospitalizations for RSV-like illness among adults aged 60 years or older without immunocompromising conditions. Vaccine effectiveness was 73 percent against associated hospitalizations among 8,435 hospitalizations in adults with immunocompromising conditions. Vaccine effectiveness was 77 percent against RSV-associated emergency department encounters among 36,521 emergency department encounters for RSV-like illness among adults aged 60 years or older without an immunocompromising condition.

“These findings provide additional context regarding the benefit of respiratory syncytial virus vaccination among adults aged at least 60 years,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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