A study from Johns Hopkins Medicine reveals that older adults with weakened immune systems, such as organ transplant recipients, may not produce sufficient protective antibodies against respiratory syncytial virus after vaccination.
The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, highlighted challenges faced by immunocompromised individuals in responding to RSV vaccines, according to a Dec. 30 news release shared with Becker's.
The study followed 38 immunocompromised adults, aged 64 to 72, who received either the Arexvy or Abrysvo RSV vaccine. Researchers found that people aged 60 and older who are immunocompromised exhibited weaker immune responses to RSV vaccines compared to healthy individuals in the same age group.
Both vaccines are designed to target a critical protein on the surface of RSV, helping the immune system generate antibodies to neutralize the virus. While the vaccines were effective in healthy individuals, the immune responses in immunocompromised participants were more varied, with some showing little to no increase in protective antibodies.