Clinicians and healthcare professionals should target adults aged 70 and over with underlying health conditions instead of the general population, when it comes to efforts to reduce spending and prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to a study published on Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).
“We found that vaccination of older adults may be less costly and more effective than no vaccination and that vaccinating people aged 70 years and older with chronic medical conditions is likely to be cost-effective based on commonly used cost-effectiveness thresholds,” Ashleigh Tuite, PhD, a researcher from the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a press release.
“Strategies focused on adults with underlying medical conditions that place them at increased risk of RSV disease are more likely to be cost-effective than general age-based strategies,” Tuite added.
The study compared the cost-effectiveness of vaccine initiatives in different age groups with varying medical risks, using data from 100,000 people aged 50 and up. The vaccine data was based on shots authorized in Canada as of May 2024. The shots were estimated to last for about two years.
The authors projected the number of annual RSV cases that would occur without vaccination using data from reported tests and hospital admissions. Without vaccination, the authors estimated, there would be 131,389 RSV outpatient cases, 12,068 cases resulting in hospitalization and 1,015 deaths each year in those 60 and up. But vaccinating based on age and risk for RSV-related complications could thwart a median of 20% to 31% of outpatient cases, 38% to 42% of hospital cases, and 39% to 42% of deaths, the data showed.
According to the model, the vaccines were most cost-effective when given to people aged 70 and up with one or more chronic medical conditions.Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration gave the green light for a messenger RNA-based vaccine against RSV for people aged 60 and older.
