People 60 and older "may" get a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine — that is what a CDC advisory panel voted June 21, stopping short of what was anticipated to be a stronger recommendation that older adults "should" get the shots.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 9-5 in favor of a recommendation that says adults 65 and older may receive a single dose of RSV vaccine and that shared-decision making with a healthcare provider should be involved, according to an agency news release. For adults between the ages of 60 and 64, the panel voted 13-1 in favor of the same recommendation. Rochelle Walensky, MD, outgoing CDC director, will make the final decision after the advisory committee's vote.
During the advisory panel meeting, some members expressed concern over the lack of participants older than 75 included in trials for the vaccines from Pfizer and GSK — a group considered to be at highest risk for severe outcomes from RSV. The drugmakers' resistance to committing to a firm price was also a concern for some ACIP members.
The FDA approved GSK's respiratory syncytial virus vaccine intended for adults 60 and older on May 3. In a phase 3 study, the vaccine reduced the risk of developing the disease by 82.6 percent and lowered the risk of developing a severe form of the disease by 94.1 percent. Later that month, Pfizer's RSV shot for older adults was also approved.