Data Shows Initial RSV Vaccine Uptake is Low Among Older Adults: Daily Dose

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Patient Care brings primary care clinicians a lot of medical news every day—it’s easy to miss an important study. The Daily Dose provides a concise summary of one of the website's leading stories you may not have seen.

On August 14, 2025, we reported on a study published in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics that examined respiratory syncytial virus vaccination uptake from August 2023-February 2025 among US adults aged 60 years and older.

The study

Researchers conducted a retrospective database analysis using IQVIA’s open-source pharmacy (LRx) and medical (Dx) claims data. Eligible individuals had at least one claim between January 1 and December 31, 2023; for those not vaccinated in 2023, at least one claim from January 1, 2024, to February 28, 2025, was required to ensure ongoing data availability.

During a baseline period of 12 months leading up to August 1, 2023, researchers collected demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics. They measured vaccine uptake monthly and cumulatively as the proportion of eligible adults receiving an RSV vaccine, with follow-up ending at first vaccination or study end.

The findings

Approximately 78 million adults met eligibility criteria, culled from the 262 million with at least one claim in 2023. Of those, only 12.8 million older adults, representing 16.4% of the eligible population, received an RSV vaccine during the study period.

Uptake showed a gradual increase with age; rates were higher among adults aged 75 and older compared to younger seniors, reflecting risk-based recommendations. Moreover, individuals with at least one potential risk factor for severe RSV—such as cardiovascular disease (29.6%) or diabetes (25.4%)—were more likely to get vaccinated.

Racial, socioeconomic, and regional disparities uncovered in the data included:

• Race and Ethnicity: Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic adults had significantly lower vaccination rates than non-Hispanic White and Asian peers.

• Socioeconomic Factors: Higher income levels and educational attainment strongly correlated with increased vaccination likelihood.

• Regional and Insurance Variations: Urban residents and those with certain insurance types (eg, Medicare Part D) tended to have higher vaccination rates; regional differences also emerged, with the South trailing slightly behind other regions.

Authors' comments

"Additional efforts are needed to support RSV prevention among those at highest risk and to ensure equitable access to vaccination."

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