CDC Advisors Recommend Expanding RSV Vaccine Access to Younger Age Groups

April 17, 2025 TruthUSA

Vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are now available for adults 60 years and older.

On April 16, advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended broadening the eligibility for RSV vaccines.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 14–0, with one member abstaining, indicating that adults with at least one risk factor for RSV should have access to vaccination.

“I’m influenced by the fact that individuals aged 50 to 59, such as lung transplant recipients and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients, would greatly benefit from this vaccine,” stated Dr. Jane Zucker, a committee member in favor of the access expansion, after reviewing RSV vaccine data during the meeting.

Dr. Jason Goldman, representing the American College of Physicians, shared that he has patients aged 50 and older who have risk factors and are eager for the vaccine but have been unable to obtain it.

RSV primarily causes cold-like symptoms but can lead to serious health complications, including hospitalizations and fatalities, particularly among older adults. The CDC reports that RSV results in over 100,000 hospitalizations per year among individuals aged 60 and older.

There are currently three RSV vaccines licensed in the U.S. by GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Moderna. The GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer vaccines are protein subunit types approved for individuals under 60, though access requires official approval from the CDC.

The CDC typically follows the recommendations of its vaccine advisory panel but does not always do so. As of now, the agency has not commented on the RSV vaccine recommendation.

In 2024, the CDC suggested that all individuals aged 75 and older, as well as those aged 60 to 74 at higher risk for RSV, should get vaccinated for RSV, based on the advisory panel’s advice.

A subgroup of experts on the panel deliberated extensively on whether to extend RSV vaccine access to those aged 50–59, as outlined in a presentation. While a majority believed expanding access could prevent some hospitalizations with minimal undesirable effects, such as the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome associated with the vaccines, a minority argued that the risk-benefit analysis may not support this intervention given the current lack of information.

During the meeting, no members of the minority group discussed their concerns. Dr. Michael Melgar, a CDC analyst, noted that the division resulted from uncertainty surrounding the likelihood of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Numerous public commenters expressed their support for increasing access to the RSV vaccine, including Sam Sears, a health policy associate with the National Consumers League.

A later meeting will address whether to advise the CDC to allow individuals younger than 50 to receive the RSV vaccine, the CDC announced.

Wednesday’s meeting marked the first gathering of the panel since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy took the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of the CDC.

This meeting was originally scheduled for February but was postponed to give the public additional time for feedback on the agenda items, according to a health official.

Advisors also voted unanimously, with one abstention regarding chikungunya vaccines and the recommendations for expanded access to meningococcal vaccines, which were endorsed for the first time in 2024.

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