Respiratory Syncytial Virus

WIth 31% of the US population living in a health care provider shortage area, current bills in Congress look to broaden the scope of pharmacists’ role in patient care.

RSV could interact with nerve cells, causing nerve damage and possible entry to the spinal cord.

If vaccination coverage was increased by 100%, outpatient care could be reduced by 81.2%, hospitalizations by 91.7%, and deaths by 91.3%.

The study highlights the ongoing need for health care providers to recommend respiratory illness vaccinations to increase protection among nursing home residents during the peak season of infection.

From newsworthy moments to groundbreaking research, these were the most-read respiratory syncytial virus-related articles on Pharmacy Times in 2023.

The most recent advances included an approved vaccine that could immunize both the elderly and pregnant women, along with the release of nirsevimab.

Arexvy shows efficacy in helping protect adults aged 50 to 59 years with an increased risk for respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract disease.

RSV can create a problematic infection among children 12 months of age or younger, older adults, and in patients with immunocompromised conditions.

Engaging technicians in immunizations has been crucial to public health

Expert discuss access barriers for the COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza vaccines, and ways to facilitate uptake.

In addition to the annual flu vaccines, COVID-19 boosters and RSV vaccines present new opportunities for pharmacists to advise patients.

Pharmacists play a vital role in providing education and administering influenza, COVID-19, and RSV Vaccines

Community pharmacies and organizations can collaborate to tailor strategies and interventions and address the challenges and specific needs of the community.

By educating their patients on the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, pharmacists can have an even greater impact by increasing vaccine uptake in historically underserved groups.

Best practices to train staff and team members to engage patients and to ease the new vaccine offerings into the workflow are also discussed.

Pharmacists play a critical role in educating patients on RSV prevention, how to recognize early symptoms, and when to seek medical help.

The pharmacy is no longer considered to offer full service (or to be financially sustainable) without a robust vaccination practice.

This technique may be applied to transdermal applications, such as shot-free vaccines.

With their closing thoughts, the panelists explore unmet needs in the landscape of adult RSV vaccination.

Key opinion leaders traverse the challenges associated with vaccine hesitancy.

Gretchen Garofoli, PharmD, an associate professor at the West Virginia School of Pharmacy, discusses the current recommendations for COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza vaccines and vaccine hesitancy.

Approximately 57% of individuals who were shown a flowchart of the FDA vaccine approval process were very or somewhat likely to recommend a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine to a pregnant family member or friend compared to only 40% of those who were not shown the process.

Electronic health record utilization and financial considerations for RSV vaccines in adults are overviewed by Drs Madison and Welch.

Dr Haumschild drives a discussion around what pharmacies and health care systems can expect from RSV infections in adult patient populations.