RSV in Older Adults and Adults with Chronic Medical Conditions
RSV infections can be dangerous for certain
adults. Adults at highest risk for severe RSV
infection include:
• Older adults, especially those 65 years and older
• Adults with chronic heart or lung disease
• Adults with weakened immune systems
Each year, it is estimated that between 60,000–120,000 older
adults in the United States are hospitalized and 6,000–10,000 of
them die due to RSV infection.
Severe RSV infection
When an older adult gets RSV infection, they typically have
mild cold-like symptoms including runny nose, sore throat,
cough, and headache. But RSV can sometimes lead to serious
conditions such as:
• Pneumonia (infection of the lungs)
• More severe symptoms for people with asthma
• More severe symptoms for people with chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) (a chronic disease of the lungs
that makes it hard to breathe)
• Congestive heart failure (when the heart can’t pump blood
and oxygen to the body’s tissues)
Older adults who get very sick from RSV may need to be
hospitalized. Some may even die. Older adults are at greater
risk than young adults for serious complications from RSV
because our immune systems weakens when we are older.
