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RSV vaccine guide for adults and infants via maternal vaccination

Learn how RSV vaccination helps protect high-risk people, including adults 50 years of age and older, and infants via maternal immunization.

Medically reviewed by
Dr. David Weber · August 13, 2025
7 min read

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Key takeaways

What is RSV?

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a highly contagious virus that most commonly affects adults over 50 and infants.

Each year in the United States RSV can lead to as many as 180,000 hospitalizations and 8,300 deaths among adults 50 years of age and older, and it remains the leading cause of infant hospital admission in the U.S.

The good news?

After decades of research, RSV vaccines are available—and they’re helping to protect against a potentially serious disease.

RSV is a virus that targets cells in the nose, throat, and lower airways. It replicates quickly in humans and can shed billions of particles with every cough or sneeze.

Most RSV infections start like an ordinary cold—runny nose, congestion, mild fever—but can worsen quickly, catching people off guard. The virus can potentially lead to inflammation, excess mucus, and dangerous complications such as bronchiolitis (swelling in the small airways of the lungs) or pneumonia.

There are no prescription treatments for adults with RSV, so the best protection for adults is to get an RSV vaccine.

RSV transmission

RSV is highly contagious and is mainly transmitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes, which releases virus-containing droplets, or tiny bits of liquid, into the air. These droplets can land in the eyes, nose, or mouth of anyone nearby.

Once a droplet leaves the body, RSV can last many hours on hard surfaces—like doorknobs and countertops—and for a shorter time on fabrics. Touching these contaminated surfaces and then touching your nose or mouth is a major route of infection.

RSV vs. common cold

RSV is often mistaken for the common cold because symptoms can appear similar at first — sore throat, cough, mild fever. But the rhinoviruses that cause common colds rarely reach small airways in the lungs, where RSV causes the most trouble.

If you notice any of the following RSV signs, get immediate medical attention for yourself or your loved one:

Why do you need the RSV vaccine?

To help prevent severe illness and reduce hospitalizations from RSV

To eliminate all cold symptoms

Correct

To help prevent severe illness and reduce hospitalizations from RSV

Not quite

Correct answer: To help prevent severe illness and reduce hospitalizations from RSV

Continue reading below

RSV vaccination and other preventive tools

Thanks to the last two decades of research, we now have ways to help strengthen and train the immune system against RSV. Vaccines stimulate your own immune cells to build a defense, helping to decrease the risk of severe lung infections, especially for the most vulnerable.

In addition to getting vaccinated, you can help reduce your RSV risk by following a few basic prevention tips:

Who should get RSV vaccines?

*Always confirm timing and eligibility with a healthcare professional. To check your eligibility, and find and schedule respiratory vaccinations, visit VaxAssist.com.

RSV may start like a cold. But for older adults and infants, it can be a severe threat.

How RSV vaccines work

RSV shots contain stabilized pieces of the virus that RSV uses like a key to enter human airway cells.

By exposing the immune system to this key in advance, vaccination may help protect against RSV.

RSV vaccine safety profile

The most commonly reported reactions were pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue, and muscle pain.

In pregnant women, the most commonly reported reactions were pain at the injection site, headache, muscle pain, and nausea.

Anyone with a history of severe allergy to any vaccine ingredient should discuss alternatives with their healthcare provider.

Check applicable RSV vaccine FDA product label for additional information on safety.

Ready to get your RSV vaccine? Check your eligibility, find and schedule an appointment, or book at VaxAssist.com.

High‑risk groups for RSV

RSV severity rises sharply in several groups:

Adults 50  years of age and older
Adults 50 years of age and older with the following conditions are at a higher risk of RSV-associated hospitalizations:

Because of this increased risk, vaccine eligibility for adults between the age of 50 and 74 with underlying medical conditions is recommended.

Adults 75 and older
Adults with reduced immune system function whose bodies have a harder time fighting off germs can struggle to clear the virus and are at increased risk of RSV-associated hospitalization.

Infants
Narrow airways and immature immunity leave the youngest babies more susceptible. Roughly 1 in 50 U.S. infants in this age group is hospitalized for RSV each season.

177K

hospitalizations/year

Linked to RSV in U.S. adults over 60.

Additional information on RSV protection for infants

For infants whose mothers did not receive RSV maternal vaccination, parents should discuss monoclonal antibodies with their healthcare provider.

Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system's ability to fight off viruses, helping to provide passive immunity that offers protection.
When a pregnant woman receives RSV vaccine, Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are transferred to the infant through the placenta, offering short-term protection after birth. Maternal immunization can help protect infants during their early months when they are most vulnerable to severe RSV.

Cost considerations may influence the choice between RSV vaccination and monoclonal antibody administration to help protect infants.

In rare circumstances, monoclonal antibodies may be recommended for infants even if the mother was vaccinated. These include:

Infants at substantial increased risk for severe RSV disease may benefit from additional protective measures.

RSV seasonality and year-round protection

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), RSV activity in the United States usually builds in early September, peaks between December and February, and fades by late spring. Areas closer to the equator can have a steadier flow of RSV cases throughout the year.

Since regional peaks can arrive earlier or later, local public‑health updates are worth monitoring.

For adults, RSV vaccines can be given at any time of the year. Optimal timing is late summer and early fall just before the RSV season starts.

For pregnant women, RSV vaccines are recommended from September through January (in most of the continental US depending on RSV seasonality), except for certain exceptions.

You can check your eligibility and find and schedule respiratory vaccinations including RSV through VaxAssist.com.

Help reduce your RSV risk

The Respiratory Syncytial Virus isn't a severe threat to everyone. But to susceptible groups (including certain adults ages 50+ and infants), RSV can catch you off guard, morph from minor cold symptoms to requiring intensive hospital care in a short amount of time.

Vaccines can help reduce the risk of severe RSV so talk with your healthcare provider about timing, insurance coverage, and which option may be right for you.

Are you or someone you care for at risk for severe RSV? Check your eligibility, and find and schedule respiratory vaccinations through VaxAssist.com today.

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Frequently asked questions

Is RSV contagious?
Yes. RSV is highly contagious and spreads directly through droplets from coughs and sneezes, and indirectly through contacting surfaces where droplets have landed.
How long does RSV illness last?
Most mild cases clear within 1-2 weeks. However, RSV can also cause severe disease and hospitalization in adults and infants.
Who is RSV vaccine recommended for?
Current U.S. recommendations include certain adults 50 and older who are at high risk, anyone 75 and older, and pregnant women who are 32-36 weeks pregnant to help protect their infants.
Do vaccines work immediately?
No. It can take up to two weeks for the protective antibody levels to build up in adults and pregnant recipients (passed to their infants through the placenta for protection of the infant at birth).
How severe can RSV be?
RSV can be as mild as the common cold – cough, low fever, runny nose. But in susceptible groups like adults and infants, RSV can cause severe respiratory illness like pneumonia, hospitalization, or even death.

References

Molnar D, La E, Verelst F, Curran D, Poston S, Graham J. Modeling the clinical and economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among adults ≥ 60 years of age in the United States [conference presentation]. RSVVW 2023; Lisbon, Portugal. RTI Health Solutions; February 22, 2023. https://www.rtihs.org/publications/modeling-clinical-and-economic-burden-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-among-adults-60
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RSV in infants and young children. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Published September 21, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/infants-young-children/index.html
World Health Organization. Respiratory syncytial virus. WHO. Accessed July 8, 2025. https://www.who.int/health-topics/respiratory-syncytial-virus
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What causes RSV? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Published August 30, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/causes/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) surveillance [page updated]. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Published April 25, 2024.https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/php/surveillance/index.html
Penders Y, Brusselle G, Falsey AR, et al. Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease in Adults with Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Literature Review. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2025;25(1):14. Published 2025 Feb 25. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11850418/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RSV in infants and young children. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Published August 30, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/infants-young-children/index.html
Fry SE, Terebuh P, Kaelber DC, Xu R, Davis PB. Effectiveness and safety of respiratory syncytial virus vaccine for US adults aged 60 years or older. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(5):e258322. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2833776
Drysdale SB, Cathie K, Flamein F, Knuf M, Collins AM, Hill HC, Kaiser F; HARMONIE Study Group. Efficacy of nirsevimab against hospitalization for RSV in infants. N Engl J Med. 2023;389(26):2425–2435. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38157500/
Kampmann B, Munjal I, Madhi SA, Simões EAF, Shittu E, Polack FP, et al. Bivalent prefusion F vaccine in pregnancy to prevent RSV illness in infants. N Engl J Med. 2023;388(15):1451–1464. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2216480