A recent study shows that one shot of the RSV vaccine can protect adults aged 60 or older from being hospitalized or getting very sick from RSV for two seasons in a row.
The study, published in JAMA on August 30, was done by the IVY Network research group.
RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) causes many people to get sick every fall and winter in the U.S. Each year, it sends about 100,000 to 150,000 older adults to the hospital and causes between 4,000 and 8,000 deaths.
Dr. Wesley Self from Vanderbilt University Medical Center led the study and said the findings prove that RSV vaccines help keep older adults out of the hospital. He said this is an exciting step for public health.
The researchers looked at data from nearly 7,000 adults over 60 years old who were hospitalized with breathing problems during two RSV seasons. These people were from 26 hospitals in 20 U.S. states. The study covered October 2023 to March 2024 and October 2024 to April 2025.
They found that getting the RSV vaccine lowered the risk of being hospitalized by 58% overall. It worked best in the first year after the shot (69% protection) and still helped in the second year (48% protection).
Dr. Self noted that the vaccine’s power fades over time. He suggested that a second dose might be needed later to keep the protection strong. Experts will need to continue studying how long the vaccine works and whether booster shots should be given.
Right now, RSV vaccines are recommended for everyone aged 75 and older, and also for people aged 60 to 74 who are more likely to get seriously ill from RSV.
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The study is published in JAMA.
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