The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday pressed older adults and those with chronic conditions to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus, citing new data showing RSV hospitalizations carry a far higher long-term death toll than previously understood.

Researchers found that nearly one in 10 adults hospitalized with RSV died within a year of admission, according to the CDC analysis. The finding reframes RSV, long viewed primarily as a childhood threat, as a serious driver of mortality among older and immunocompromised adults.

The CDC recommends RSV vaccination for all adults aged 75 and older and for those aged 60 to 74 at increased risk of severe disease. Vaccines from GSK, Pfizer and Moderna have been available since the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but uptake among eligible adults has remained below federal targets, agency surveillance data show.

Public health officials timed the message to coincide with the start of the respiratory virus season, when RSV typically circulates alongside influenza and Covid-19. The CDC encouraged clinicians to offer RSV, flu and Covid vaccines in a single visit to boost coverage before hospitalizations peak in December and January.

"RSV is not a mild illness for older adults, and the risks extend well beyond the initial hospital stay," a CDC spokesperson said, urging eligible patients to speak with their doctors about vaccination.