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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week said that reports of a nervous system disorder known as Guillain-Barre syndrome are “more common than expected” in older adults who got new RSV vaccines.

More than 10 million older adults have gotten either Pfizer or GSK single-dose shots since early August to protect against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which is a common cause of cold-like symptoms and can be dangerous for infants and older people. “RSV vaccination continues to be recommended for adults aged [60 years and older] using shared clinical decision-making. CDC and FDA are conducting active safety evaluations to assess risks for GBS and other adverse events of special interest after RSV vaccination.



The results of these studies will help guide future CDC RSV vaccine recommendations,” the CDC said Thursday. Both the CDC and the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration say they’re evaluating any risks, but they do not plan to change their recommendation for the RSV vaccines, which is that patients 60 and older should talk to their doctor and then decide whether to be vaccinated. The new CDC report focused on 28 cases of the syndrome in people who were vaccinated, and all but one developed symptoms within 21 days. That translated to 1.

5 cases per million in people who got the GSK RSV vaccine, and five cases per million in recipients of the Pfizer shot. In February, the CDC presented similar findings on the RSV shots and Guillain-Barre syndr.

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