Respiratory syncytial virus vaccinations are now recommended for all adults over age 75 and for high-risk adults between ages 60 and 74, the CDC announced June 26.
Previously, vaccination against RSV was only recommended for use in adults aged 60 years and older, per the CDC. The new recommendations replace the previous guidance.
The CDC update was made to prioritize individuals most at risk of severe illness from the virus and "to simplify RSV vaccine decision-making for clinicians and the public," the agency wrote in its update.
"People 75 or older, or between 60-74 with certain chronic health conditions or living in a nursing home should get one dose of the RSV vaccine to provide an extra layer of protection," CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD said in the news release.
Once an adult has received the RSV vaccine, they do not need it annually, the CDC noted, so this update does not apply to any adult who received an RSV vaccine last year during the inaugural rollout.
The 2023-2024 season was the first time an RSV vaccine has been available to patients at all. Every 1 million doses of RSV vaccines given to adults over 65 years old helps prevent an estimated 25,000 outpatient visits, 2,500 hospitalizations and around 130 deaths, The New York Times reported in 2023.