EARLY analysis of England’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme shows a significant 30% reduction in RSV-related hospital admissions among older adults, highlighting the vaccine’s real-world impact.
Researchers conducted a regression discontinuity design study using national databases to compare RSV-related hospitalisation rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. RSV PCR test results were matched with hospital admission records from the Emergency Care Dataset, excluding injury-related admissions. The study population included individuals aged 70–84 years, with vaccine eligibility determined by age on 1 September 2024. Vaccination coverage was tracked using the Immunisation Information System, and statistical modelling accounted for population trends and hospitalisation risk factors.
At the programme’s start, 2.54 million adults aged 75–79 became eligible for the bivalent pre-F vaccine. By early January 2025, 47.4% of this group had received the vaccine, with coverage ranging from 45.0% in 75-year-olds to 48.9% in 79-year-olds. Analysis revealed a 30% reduction (95% CI: 18–40, p<0.0001) in RSV-related hospital admissions among vaccinated individuals compared to modelled expectations. With vaccine coverage at 41.8% by the study’s midpoint, the observed impact aligned with an estimated vaccine effectiveness of 72%.
These findings reinforce the importance of RSV immunisation in reducing hospital burden among older adults. Further analyses will refine vaccine effectiveness estimates, but this mid-season evaluation provides compelling early evidence of the programme’s success.
Reference
Mensah AA et al. Early impact of RSV vaccination in older adults in England. Lancet. 2025;DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00346-0.
