What It’s Like to Have RSV as an Older Adult
Like many adults over 60, Tom, a patient advocate for GSK, was unfamiliar with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) when he tested positive for the common, contagious respiratory virus in the fall of 2022. “I drove my 5-year-old grandson to school one morning and noticed he had a cough. A couple of days later, I started coughing too.” Then, his grandson tested positive for RSV. “But while he got better, my cough just kept getting worse.” When he couldn’t catch his breath, Tom went to the hospital.
Nearly 177,000 adults 65 years and older in the US are hospitalized with RSV each year, and data suggest adults 60 and older are at an increased risk for severe RSV infection. There is no specific treatment for RSV. Tom was sent home with medications to help manage his symptoms, but his cough persisted. And it felt like no matter how hard he coughed, he couldn’t clear the congestion in his lungs.
He visited the hospital twice more and learned that the RSV had spread to his lower respiratory tract. However, back at home, he found he couldn’t complete his daily tasks and needed to sit down and rest more often than usual. “RSV really interrupted my life.”
RSV: A risk for older adults
Most people are aware that RSV can affect babies and young children. However, older adults like Tom are also at risk, even if they are relatively healthy.
People aged 60 years and older including those with certain underlying conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic heart failure (CHF), have a greater risk for developing a severe infection from RSV. RSV most commonly spreads during the fall and winter months in most regions of the United States. Symptoms of lung and lower airway infection from RSV can vary from mild to severe, last up to two weeks, and include:
Congestion
Cough
Shortness of breath
Wheezing
Steps to help prevent RSV
RSV can spread when droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze travel through the air and make their way into your eyes, nose, or mouth. Preventing the spread of RSV can include hand washing, keeping hands away from your face, or avoiding close contact with anyone who has symptoms of RSV.
You’ll also want to avoid contact with anyone who has a current infection with RSV as they are usually contagious for three to eight days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
If you’re 60 years of age or older, speak with your healthcare provider or pharmacist about getting vaccinated against RSV. AREXVY (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Adjuvanted) is the first FDA-approved RSV vaccine to help prevent lung and lower airway infection from RSV in people 60 and older. The CDC recommends that adults 60 years of age and older may receive a single dose of RSV vaccination, based on a discussion with their healthcare provider.
What is AREXVY?
AREXVY is an FDA-approved vaccine for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by respiratory syncytial virus in people 60 years of age and older.
Important Safety Information for AREXVY
You should not receive AREXVY if you are allergic to any of its ingredients
Fainting can happen after getting injectable vaccines, including AREXVY. Precautions should be taken to avoid injury due to fainting
Some people with weakened immune systems may have reduced immune responses to AREXVY
The most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain
Vaccination with AREXVY may not result in protection of all vaccine recipients
Ask your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of AREXVY. Only a healthcare provider can decide if AREXVY is right for you
“I encourage everyone to consult their doctor about RSV vaccination. The illness was just so awful for me. I hope others don’t have to experience what I went through.” —Tom
In a clinical trial involving adults aged 60 and older, AREXVY was overall 82.6% effective in preventing lung and lower airway infection from RSV. AREXVY was 94.6% effective in preventing lung and lower airway infection from RSV in people aged 60 years and older with underlying conditions: asthma, diabetes, COPD, chronic heart failure, advanced liver or kidney disease, or any chronic respiratory/pulmonary disease.
AREXVY is given as a single-dose shot that can be given at the same time as a quadrivalent influenza vaccine. AREXVY is now widely available at all major retail pharmacies, though stocking at individual stores will vary. Patients should ask their doctor or pharmacist if AREXVY is covered by their insurance.
Tom says he’ll receive the vaccine to help protect himself in the future from RSV and hopes that by sharing his experience with RSV, other people will learn about ways to help protect themselves as well. “I encourage everyone to consult their doctor about RSV vaccination,” he says. “The illness was just so awful for me, I hope others don’t have to experience what I went through.”
Talk to your doctor or visit www.AREXVY.com to learn more.
Please see full Prescribing Information.
You are encouraged to report vaccine adverse events to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Visit www.vaers.hhs.gov to file a report, or call 1-800-822-7967.
Tom was compensated by GSK for his participation in this program.
Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
©2023 GSK or licensor.
RSAWCNT230080 November 2023
Produced in USA.
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