CDC: Adults 75 and Older Should Get an RSV Vaccine

Effectiveness and side effects 

Clinical trial data reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that Arexvy, from manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, reduced the risk of symptomatic illness from an RSV infection in adults 60 and older by nearly 83 percent; the risk of severe disease was cut by about 94 percent in the older adult population.

Some side effects were reported, the most common of which include injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint stiffness and pain. The FDA noted in its 2023 approval that atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rate, was reported within 30 days of vaccination in 10 of the roughly 12,500 participants who received Arexvy and four of the roughly 12,500 participants who received the placebo. GlaxoSmithKline will conduct a study to assess this risk, along with other rare events, the FDA said.

The second FDA-approved RSV vaccine for older adults is from drugmaker Pfizer. In clinical trials, the vaccine, Abrysvo, was nearly 67 percent effective against RSV illness with two symptoms and 86 percent effective against three or more symptoms.

The study results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine; and the most common side effects reported were pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache and muscle pain. The FDA also asked Pfizer to conduct a study to assess the risk of rare events, including the risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

And the third, called mRESVIA, from Moderna, was found to be roughly 50 percent effective at preventing illness from an RSV infection after 18 months, according to data presented to the CDC’s advisory committee. No serious safety concerns were identified in the clinical trial, and the most commonly reported side effects were injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle aches and joint pain.

A long wait

Scientists have been working to develop an RSV vaccine for decades, but the very nature of the virus and how it infects our cells made it difficult, Schaffner explains. Researchers cracked the code, however. In addition to having RSV vaccines for older adults, there are also new vaccines to help protect infants and young children.

It’s estimated that 58,000 to 80,000 children younger than 5 are hospitalized each year with RSV.

You can get the RSV vaccine at any time; however, the CDC says the best time to get it is in late summer and early fall “before RSV usually starts to spread in communities.” The CDC also notes that unlike the flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine, the RSV vaccine is not currently an annual shot, “meaning people do not need to get a dose every RSV season.”

There are other ways to reduce your risk of getting sick with RSV. Hand hygiene is important, Schaffner says, and because the virus spreads in the same way as influenza and the coronavirus, a high-quality mask can help.

“Be careful attending indoor group events, particularly,” Schaffner says. “So, if you’re traveling, if you’re going to religious services, if you’re going to your grandson’s basketball game — if you’re in that high-risk group, don’t hesitate to put your mask back on.”

Editor's note: This story, first published May 3, 2023, has been updated to include new information.