Pfizer and GSK’s RSV shots have the potential to avert numerous hospitalizations

Vaccinating one million adults aged 65 and above with a single shot of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine from Pfizer or GSK may significantly reduce hospitalizations during two seasons of the virus, according to an analysis conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan and presented by a CDC medical officer.

During an advisory committee meeting, the committee recommended that adults aged 60 and older consult with their doctors to receive a single dose of Pfizer’s or GSK’s RSV vaccine.

The analysis shows that administering Pfizer’s vaccine to one million adults aged 65 and older could prevent 2,500 hospitalizations and 25,000 outpatient visits over two RSV seasons. The same number of adults receiving GSK’s vaccine may prevent approximately 2,300 hospitalizations and 23,000 outpatient visits.

It is important to note that the number of prevented outcomes is lower for adults aged 60 to 64 due to the lower prevalence of RSV disease in that age group.

This analysis further confirms the effectiveness of both Pfizer’s and GSK’s vaccines in preventing RSV, a contagious respiratory virus that causes mild symptoms in most individuals but can lead to severe infections in seniors and children.

According to CDC data, RSV annually hospitalizes 60,000 to 160,000 older adults and causes 6,000 to 10,000 deaths in this population.

Pfizer and GSK also presented longer-term efficacy data during the meeting, which indicates that their vaccines offer ongoing protection against RSV after one season of the virus.

This analysis suggests that the vaccines could alleviate the burden on hospitals during the fall, when respiratory viruses tend to spread at high levels.

Last year, hospitals across the nation faced overwhelming cases of RSV, COVID-19, and the flu in both children and older adults.