On Sept. 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory notifying clinicians and caregivers about recent increases in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity across the Southeastern United States in recent weeks and providing guidance for patient management.
The agency shares information about new prevention tools for RSV that became available in 2023, including:
- Nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect infants and some young children at increased risk for severe RSV disease. Health care providers should offer nirsevimab to all infants under 8 months or children ages 8-19 months who are at increased risk for severed RSV disease.
- RSVPreF3 and RSVpreF, recombinant protein vaccines that are both approved by FDA for use in adults ages 60 years and older to prevent RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease. CDC recommends that eligible adults receive a single dose of either RSV vaccine using shared clinical decision-making. Vaccination should be prioritized in older adults with certain chronic medical conditions associated with increased risk of RSV disease.
The advisory also urges health care providers to discuss other vaccines with patients, including COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, available this fall to help prevent respiratory illness.
Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
