RSV vaccination proves effective in older adults

The respiratory syncytial virus prefusion F vaccine may be effective at preventing severe disease.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that adults aged 75 years and older and high-risk individuals aged 60 to 74 years should receive the RSV vaccine.

In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers evaluated the outcomes of 7,027 lower respiratory tract disease encounters among adult patients aged 60 years and older between November 2023 and April 2024. They also salvaged respiratory specimens collected during COVID-19 and influenza testing to increase the study size.

The researchers found that 3.2% of the study participants had been vaccinated for RSV. The vaccine’s effectiveness was about 90% to 91%. The researchers proposed that every 250 RSV vaccinations could prevent one RSV-related hospitalization or emergency department visit during the first season postvaccination.

Read more: JAMA Network Open

The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.