Risk of related infections drastically reduced by anti-RSV vaccine

The principal findings of the study, Estimated Vaccine Effectiveness for Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Related Lower Respiratory Tract Disease, published in JAMA Network and conducted at the Kaiser Permanente of Southern California medical facilities, have indicated that the RSVpreF (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F) vaccine provides substantial protection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-associated lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) in adults aged 60 years and older. Specifically, RSVpreF demonstrated efficacy in preventing RSV-related hospitalizations and emergency department encounters for pneumonia in United States adults over the age of 60, with a majority of these individuals being 75 years of age or older and presenting with comorbidities. A total of 7,047 LRTD-related hospital admissions or emergency department visits, confirmed by positive RSV test results, were evaluated during the period from November 24, 2023, to April 9, 2024, in subjects who had received the vaccine within the first year of its authorization or at least 21 days before the onset of lower respiratory tract infection. Within this patient population, the estimated and adjusted vaccine effectiveness was determined to be 91% (95% CI, 59%-98%). Utilizing broader controls, the effectiveness was calculated at 90% (95% CI, 59%-97%). These data support the use of the vaccine in older adults with multiple diseases, the authors conclude.