Vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are both safe and effective in protecting people most at risk, especially older adults and young children, according to a new Cochrane review.
RSV is a common virus that causes colds and coughs. While most people recover quickly, RSV can lead to serious lung infections like pneumonia. It is especially dangerous for babies under two years old and for older adults.
A team of international researchers reviewed 14 clinical trials involving over 100,000 participants. These included older adults, pregnant women, women who could become pregnant, and children. The trials were done in many different countries around the world. The results were published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
In older adults, the RSV prefusion vaccines reduced the risk of serious lower respiratory tract infections like pneumonia by 77%. The vaccine also reduced the risk of milder RSV-related respiratory illness by 67%.
When pregnant women were vaccinated with an RSV F protein-based vaccine, their babies were much better protected.
The babies were 54% less likely to need medical care for RSV-related breathing illness, 74% less likely to get seriously sick from RSV, and 54% less likely to be hospitalized due to RSV.
Dr. KM Saif-Ur-Rahman, lead author of the review, said, “We found strong evidence that RSV vaccines protect older adults, and good evidence that vaccinating pregnant women helps protect their babies too. This is great news for the most vulnerable people.”
The review also found that serious side effects were very rare and occurred at similar rates in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
These findings are based on clinical trials, which are considered the strongest type of scientific evidence. Real-world data on how well the vaccines work and how safe they are is still being collected.
Kate Olsson, another author and vaccine expert at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), said, “Real-world studies will add even more useful information.”
Researchers plan to publish new updates soon, adding more data about the safety and benefits of different RSV vaccines as it becomes available.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about a new method to treat cancer effectively, and this low-dose, four-drug combo may block cancer spread.
For more health information, please see recent studies about nutrient in fish that can be a poison for cancer, and results showing this daily vitamin is critical to cancer prevention.
The study is published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
