RSV vaccine cuts elderly hospitalizations by 75% in U.S. study

A real‑world study of more than 2.5 million U.S. adults compared roughly 520,000 recipients of GSK’s RSV vaccine Arexvy with 2 million unvaccinated peers between August 2023 and May 2024. Results presented at the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Foundation conference show a 75.6 % reduction in RSV‑related hospital admissions among the vaccinated, a 63.1 % drop in severe cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes, 79.1 % fewer severe hospitalisations, and a 66.8 % decline in mortality.

Cardiologist José Carlos Zanon explained that immune‑senescence in older adults makes RSV infections especially dangerous, adding that the virus also drives a large share of severe respiratory cases in children. In Brazil, the vaccine is currently offered only to pregnant women through the public health system, but two RSV immunizers have received ANVISA approval for adult use and are recommended for people over 70 years or those 60‑70 years with risk factors. GSK emphasizes that the “real‑world” data confirm the efficacy previously shown in clinical trials.

The study’s findings are expected to influence vaccination policies for older populations in both the United States and Brazil, where RSV remains a leading cause of acute respiratory illness in the winter season.