New global study highlights uneven uptake of RSV immunisation products

A new global review of the rollout of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation products has found wide variation in uptake across countries, demographic groups, and delivery systems ‒ raising concerns about equity and accessibility in preventing serious RSV-related disease.

Published in eClinicalMedicine, the study ‒ led by Usher’s Ting Shi and involving researchers from multiple institutions ‒ analysed data from more than 1.38m individuals across six countries. 

The research team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 43 population-based studies published between December 2022 and February 2025. The review assessed uptake of three new RSV immunisation approaches: nirsevimab for infants, RSV maternal vaccines, and RSV vaccines for older adults. Uptake of the long-acting monoclonal antibody nirsevimab in infants was reported in 34 studies: 16 from Spain, eight from the United States, seven from France, one combining data from Andorra and Spain, and one each from Italy and Luxembourg.

While nirsevimab uptake in Spain was encouraging, the findings showed low and inconsistent coverage for maternal RSV vaccines (30.5%) and RSV vaccines for older adults (18.2%) ‒ with all relevant data on these two groups coming from the United States. The authors note that national-level data remain limited and call for urgent action to ensure these immunisation tools are implemented effectively.

As more countries prepare to introduce these immunisation products, a comprehensive overview of uptake data may provide opportunities for developing successful implementation strategies and shared learning, as well as plans for addressing potential challenges with uptake, inequalities, and barriers to access.

Dr Ting Shi Chancellor's Fellow, Usher Institute

The study underscores the importance of monitoring vaccine equity and strengthening delivery systems to maximise the public health benefits of these promising new tools.

Cite as

Real-world uptake of nirsevimab, RSV maternal vaccine, and RSV vaccines for older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Trusinska, D. et al. eClinicalMedicine, Volume 84, 103281, DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103281

Further information

Real-world uptake of nirsevimab, RSV maternal vaccine, and RSV vaccines for older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis | eClinicalMedicine 

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