EXPERT REVIEW OF VACCINES · Available online 31 Jul 2026 · In press · DOI 10.1080/14760584.2026.2708199
Erin Quinn, Mary MacKinnon, Severin Freisberg, Caroline Lade, Josephine Friedrich, Lea J. Bayer, Christof von Eiff, Ahuva Averin, Reiko Sato, Julia Schiffner-Rohe
Introduction Vaccination against lower respiratory tract illness due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV-LRTI) is approved in Europe for all adults aged ≥18 years. The German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO), however, only recommends vaccination for high-risk adults aged 60–74 years and all adults aged ≥75 years (standard of care [SOC]). Younger, immunocompromised adults [IC], as well as those with chronic medical conditions [CMC+], remain unprotected.Research design and methods A multi-cohort model projected lifetime RSV-related clinical and economic outcomes (in 2025 €) among adults in Germany. Base case analyses considered the cost-effectiveness of adding vaccination of IC adults aged 18–59 years to the SOC from a societal perspective. An expanded base case adding CMC+/IC adults aged 18–59 years to the SOC was also evaluated.Results Adding IC adults aged 18–59 years to the recommendation would prevent 6,490 additional cases, avert 199 more deaths, and reduce costs by 21 million € compared to the SOC. Incorporating CMC+/IC adults would prevent 24,545 additional cases and 388 deaths, at an incremental cost of 238 million €.Conclusions Expanding the recommendation to include IC or CMC+/IC adults aged 18–59 years could substantially reduce the clinical burden of RSV-LRTI in Germany; including IC 18–59-year-olds would also be cost-saving.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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Quinn, E., MacKinnon, M., Freisberg, S., et al. (2026). Cost-effectiveness of RSVpreF for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus illness among high-risk adults in Germany. EXPERT REVIEW OF VACCINES. https://doi.org/10.1080/14760584.2026.2708199