The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended the routine use of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines for all adults aged 75 years and above.
The panel also voted in favour of RSV immunisation for those aged between 60 and 74 years at higher severe disease risk.
These updated recommendations aim to enhance access to RSV immunisation, especially for the estimated 23 million adults aged 75 years and above in the US.
ACIP has postponed the decision on recommending the vaccine for adults aged between 50 and 59 at increased RSV-lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) risk until more data is available.
In forming the latest recommendations, ACIP reviewed efficacy and immunogenicity findings for licensed RSV vaccines for use in adults.
It also took into account the real-world surveillance data from the FDA and CDC databases, including post-marketing safety information on Guillain Barre syndrome.
The ACIP's recommendations will be reviewed by the CDC director and the US Department of Health and Human Services.
The final recommendations will be published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
CDC director Dr Mandy Cohen stated: “The CDC has updated its RSV vaccination recommendation for older adults to prioritise those at highest risk for serious illness from RSV.
“People 75 or older, or between 60 and 74 with certain chronic health conditions or living in a nursing home, should get one dose of the RSV vaccine to provide an extra layer of protection.”
GSK [a merger between Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham] is currently continuing to gather data on RSV vaccines, expanding on the existing clinical data package, to assist future policy decisions.
The company’s adjuvanted RSV vaccine, Arexvy, is the only FDA-approved option for adults aged between 50 and 59 years at higher RSV-LRTD risk.
Arexvy was initially approved by the US regulator in May 2023 for RSV-LRTD prevention in individuals aged 60 years and above.
The vaccine obtained expanded approval for use in younger people in June 2024.
GSK noted that the totality of evidence supports the favourable benefit-risk profile of Arexvy.
