Study: RSV vaccine prevents hospitalizations for older patients

The respiratory syncytial virus vaccine (RSV) was effective in preventing 73% of RSV-associated hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries residing in nursing homes, a JAMA Internal Medicine study found. The retrospective cohort study analyzed data from September 2023 to March 2024 on 597,430 Medicare beneficiaries living in nursing homes, the first year of RSV-vaccine availability for older adults. Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization was 60% for beneficiaries aged 65 to 74 and 75% for beneficiaries aged 75 years or older. The study also found vaccine effectiveness was 61% among immunocompromised beneficiaries. In addition, the study found vaccine effectiveness against RSV-associated death and against RSV-associated outcomes was 56% and 59%, respectively. (McKnight’s Long Term Care News article, 8/31/26)