RSV: What You Need to Know and How to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a highly contagious seasonal respiratory virus and a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections.¹ Read on to learn more about RSV and new recommendations for RSV vaccinations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

What is RSV?

For many, the symptoms of RSV can present as relatively mild and are similar to the cold, flu or COVID-19.² However, RSV is a leading cause of severe infections like pneumonia or bronchitis in older adults, and people who are immunocompromised.³ Adults who are 60 years and older, live in long-term care facilities, or have underlying medical conditions are particularly at risk for severe RSV infections.⁴

RSV is serious — and sometimes deadly. Each year, an estimated 177,000 adults over the age of 60 are hospitalized after an RSV infection.⁵ Additionally, between 6,000 to 10,000 older adults die from RSV annually.⁶

The Recent Surges in RSV Cases

In recent years, hospitalization rates due to RSV have been climbing.⁷ In older adults specifically, recent RSV seasons have caused a nearly ten-fold increase in hospitalizations.⁸ This begs the question – what is causing this seemingly sudden uptick in cases?

Our aging population is one catalyst of the surge among older adults – there are more people over the age of 60 than ever before. 95% of adults 60 and older have at least one chronic condition, and nearly 80% have two or more, which could put these individuals at increased risk of an RSV infection.⁹ Communal living experiences, such as assisted living communities and nursing homes, also allow RSV to spread more easily, with residents at a 30% higher risk of RSV.¹⁰

Preventing the Spread

By maintaining a few simple habits, you can help prevent the spread of RSV. These include practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing your hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces. It’s also important to ensure that the air you breathe is as clean as possible by opening windows for fresh air, using air purifiers, and gathering outdoors.¹¹

Another way to help stop the spread of RSV is to get vaccinated. There are now three RSV vaccines approved for use in adults ages 60 and older in the U.S. Eligible adults can get an RSV vaccine at any time, but the best time to get vaccinated is in the late summer and early fall before RSV usually starts to spread in the U.S.¹²

ACIP Recommendation

ACIP recently voted on recommendations for RSV vaccinations for the 2024/2025 season. Moving away from the shared decision-making recommendation for those over 60 years old, ACIP now recommends all adults ages 75 and older, and those who are 60-74 years old who are at increased risk of a severe RSV infection, receive an RSV vaccine. The Committee offered a list of chronic medical conditions associated with risk for severe RSV disease to help guide decision-making for the 60–74-year-old population, such as lung disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, severe obesity, and others. People who have already received an RSV vaccine are not recommended to receive another dose at this time.¹³

By following these recommendations and getting an RSV vaccine if you qualify for one, you can do your part to help prevent the spread. To find an RSV vaccine near you, talk to your doctor or local pharmacist.

¹https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/rsv/rsv-in-adults#:~:text=RSV%20is%20the%20most%20common,10%2C000%20die%20from%20RSV%20infection
²https://health.clevelandclinic.org/rsv-vs-covid-vs-flu
³https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus/symptoms-causes/syc-20353098
⁴https://health.clevelandclinic.org/rsv-is-surging
⁵https://health.clevelandclinic.org/rsv-is-surging
⁶https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/php/surveillance/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/
⁷https://health.clevelandclinic.org/rsv-is-surging
⁸https://health.clevelandclinic.org/rsv-is-surging
⁹https://www.ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-healthy-aging
¹⁰https://health.clevelandclinic.org/rsv-is-surging
¹¹https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/causes/index.html
¹²https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/vaccines/older-adults.html
¹³https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/vaccines/older-adults.html