An RSV vaccine is now recommended for older adults, but a Penn survey found most know little about the disease

RSV fueled last winter’s “tripledemic,” creating hours long waits in emergency rooms and filling hospitals to capacity. But how many people actually know how common the virus is?

Not many, according to a recent University of Pennsylvania survey examining Americans’ understanding of the virus.

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, can sometimes cause severe infections and occasionally kill young children and elderly adults. It sickens millions of people in the United States every year with generally mild, cold-like symptoms.

Its similarity to the common cold can confuse many people about whether they should be concerned, said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at Penn who oversaw the survey study.

Here’s what you need to know about the virus, the survey, and what’s next for RSV vaccines.

Prior to the pandemic, children nearly universally got sick with RSV by their second birthday. But only 2% of Americans knew this, Penn’s national survey found.

Each year, the virus typically hospitalizes an estimated 58,000 to 80,000 children under 5 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among adults ages 65 and older, that toll rises to between 60,000 and 160,000 hospitalizations.

» READ MORE: What is RSV? What are its symptoms?

Penn researchers surveyed over 1,600 Americans in late May and early June to better understand their knowledge of RSV and attitudes about a prospective vaccine. The survey was performed after the Food and Drug Administration in May approved the first RSV vaccine for seniors.

The Penn survey found that most knew that RSV had the potential to cause serious illness. But more than 80% of people surveyed did not accurately understand that it typically caused mild symptoms and could last on surfaces for multiple hours at a time.

Last fall, infants and young children were more susceptible to getting RSV, after the pandemic limited their exposure to illness during two years of widespread masking and social distancing.

The rise of vaccine misinformation around COVID may have also stoked doubts about other vaccines.

» READ MORE: How the pandemic made more people sick with RSV and the flu

Jamieson said such attitudes explain why many survey respondents would hesitate to recommend a potential RSV vaccine to their friends or family members.

According to the survey, 63% of people would recommend an approved RSV vaccine to seniors, whereas only 49% would advise pregnant people to get the vaccine.

“There was also a lot of misleading information about vaccination during COVID that can cloud decisions that people are making now about vaccination,” Jamieson said.

The CDC’s immunizations advisory committee has recommended that adults over 60 years of age “may” receive one of two currently approved RSV vaccines. Rochelle Walensky, outgoing director of the CDC, endorsed the panel’s recommendation this week, clearing providers to start giving shots starting this fall.

Eligible patients should consult with their health-care providers individually to discuss whether the benefits of the vaccine outweigh their individual risks.

“This might be something that’s a good decision for some people who have some kinds of a risk profile, but might not be as good a decision for others,” Jamieson said.

Another RSV vaccine is in the approval process. An FDA advisory panel unanimously found in May that a vaccine designed for pregnant individuals can also protect many newborns from RSV in their first six months. The vaccine would allow pregnant people to pass immunity to their babies in the womb.

The panel still has some remaining questions about the maternal vaccine’s side effects. The FDA is expected to decide whether to approve it by August.

Pregnant people, their newborns, and the elderly are at higher risk of hospitalization and death from RSV.

The steps of the complex vaccine approval process are often not well-communicated to the public, Jamieson said. But people should understand that the FDA and advisory groups are carefully weighing the benefits vs. risks before approving and recommending vaccines for RSV.

Some people may be especially concerned about the risks of vaccinating pregnant individuals. An earlier Penn study found that women of childbearing age are less sure about the safety of COVID and flu vaccines compared to other adults.

However, many vaccines are safe during pregnancy, with specific exceptions, according to the CDC.

It is important for individuals, especially those with loved ones at higher risk, to inform themselves about RSV, Jamieson said. Getting vaccinated could prevent serious illness and help hospitals that have been strained to capacity.