Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation to administer the RSV vaccine to seniors aged 60 and older, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra issued a statement Friday backing the recommendation.
Becerra said the move will ensure stronger protection for nursing home residents ahead of winter months. The vaccines are the first licensed in the country for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, and will be available in the fall for this demographic, which includes nursing home residents.
The CDC decision marks the first time in U.S. history that people 60 and older can receive a vaccine for protection against RSV, Becerra noted.
“As we prepare for the fall vaccine campaign, we will follow the data and science to protect our nation’s most vulnerable older adults, those living in nursing or long-term care facilities, and the immunocompromised,” said Becerra. “With this CDC recommendation, the Administration is ensuring that Americans have access to stronger protection against circulating respiratory viruses.”
The American Health Care Association and National Centers for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) said Becerra’s approval was “welcome news,” and that providers will do everything they can to ensure residents have access to the new vaccines.
“We continue to encourage providers to educate their staff and residents on the importance of staying up-to-date on vaccinations. We appreciate experts and health officials continuing to monitor the effectiveness of the new vaccines this fall,” AHCA/NCAL said in a statement.
It’s unclear what the potential role for HHS will be in ensuring residents in long-term care have access to the vaccine.
The news comes as nursing homes struggle to maximize the value of their infection preventionists, and regulatory scrutiny increases for the industry.
The role is vitally important in curbing RSV, as well as Covid and the flu. IPs also track what kinds of infections are seen at facilities, and if the right antibiotics are being prescribed.
Older adults are at the highest risk for severe RSV illness, along with those living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities, adults suffering from chronic heart or lung disease, and those with weakened immune systems, the CDC said.
RSV causes about 60,000 to 160,000 hospitalizations every year, and 6,000 to 10,000 deaths among older adults.
Protection is paramount when multiple respiratory diseases are likely to circulate among nursing home residents, the agency said.
Other respiratory virus cases like HMPV spiked last winter, CDC said, rising steadily to average 36% higher in March than the average number of cases before the pandemic. The average seasonal peak increased by 11%, leading to an increase in hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions and illnesses among young children and seniors.
The new vaccines will be available using shared clinical decision making, HHS said, meaning residents may receive a single dose of the vaccine depending on whether their health care provider believes the RSV vaccine is right for them.
