In new guidance, the CDC recommends that all Americans aged 75 and older get an RSV vaccine. The guidance also notes that older adults aged 60 to 74 should only be vaccinated against RSV if they are at risk for severe disease due to chronic conditions like lung or heart disease or if they reside in nursing homes. The new guidelines only apply to adults who did not get an RSV vaccine last year, the CDC noted, because the vaccine is not needed every RSV season. Last year’s CDC recommendation advised that people aged 60 and older only discuss the vaccine with their doctors, but clinicians expressed concerns about confusion over the recommendation and fears that it is part of why less than 25% of older Americans were vaccinated against RSV. “The CDC has updated its RSV vaccination recommendation for older adults to prioritize those at highest risk for serious illness from RSV,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, said in a statement.
