Concentrating on vaccination packages for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to older adults with underlying well being circumstances is a cheap method to cut back illness, based on a brand new modelling examine https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.240452 in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Affiliation Journal).
RSV infections trigger main sickness, particularly in infants and older adults, and charges of an infection enhance with age. There are actually vaccines accessible to stop illness attributable to RSV in adults, and vaccination campaigns could cut back the incidence in older adults and related well being care prices.
To know the potential affect of RSV vaccinations, researchers created a mannequin to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of vaccine packages in several age teams with totally different medical threat. Most present cost-effectiveness research have centered on adults aged 60 and older, however on this examine, researchers centered on adults aged 50 and older. They analyzed a mix of age-only, medical threat–solely and age- plus medical threat–primarily based vaccination methods.
Methods centered on adults with underlying medical circumstances that place them at elevated threat of RSV illness usually tend to be cost-effective than normal age-based methods. We discovered that vaccination of older adults could also be less expensive and more practical than no vaccination and that vaccinating individuals aged 70 years and older with continual medical circumstances is more likely to be cost-effective primarily based on generally used cost-effectiveness thresholds.”
Dr. Ashleigh Tuite, the Centre for Immunization Applications on the Public Well being Company of Canada and the Dalla Lana Faculty of Public Well being, College of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, with coauthors
The analysis group notes that in some settings with larger threat of illness and better well being care prices, resembling distant communities in Canada’s north, broader vaccination packages throughout age teams could also be cost-effective.
The examine was carried out by researchers on the Public Well being Company of Canada, Ottawa; Dalla Lana Faculty of Public Well being, College of Toronto, Toronto; College of Well being Sciences, McMaster College, Hamilton; Faculty of Epidemiology and Public Well being, College of Ottawa, Ottawa; Public Well being Ontario, Toronto; and Institut nationwide de santé publique du Québec, Québec.
A second article https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.240906 supplies a simple reference for clinicians on key factors about RSV vaccination in older adults. Specifically, the Nationwide Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends RSV vaccination for adults aged 75 years and older, and adults aged 60 years and older who’re residents of nursing properties and different continual care services. One dose of an RSV vaccine has been proven to supply safety towards illness for at the least 2 respiratory virus seasons.
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Journal reference:
Tuite, A. R., et al. (2024) Respiratory syncytial virus vaccination methods for older Canadian adults: a price–utility evaluation. CMAJ. doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.240452.