Week of October 2, 2023 MMWR Weekly Briefing

First, two CDC studies confirm RSV causes serious illness in older adults and highlight the potential benefit of RSV vaccines in preventing severe illness in this population. Next, adults 65 years and older accounted for 63% of all COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in the first half of 2023, yet more than 75% of those hospitalized had not received the recommended bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. Finally, a CDC study of long-term care facility residents found bivalent COVID-19 vaccine coverage was lowest among residents in the South and Southeast and among Black and Multiracial residents.