- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Vaccine Administration
By what route should RSV vaccine be given?
Both RSV vaccines (Arexvy, Abrysvo) are administered by the intramuscular route.
Last reviewed:
January 22, 2024
Ask the Experts: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): Vaccine Administration
Results (3)
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Vaccine Administration
Can RSV vaccine be administered at the same time as other vaccines?
Yes. It is acceptable to administer either RSV vaccine at the same time as other recommended vaccines, in accordance with CDC’s general best practice guidelines for immunization. This is especially important if you are concerned an unvaccinated patient will not return or if the patient’s immediate risk is high (such as when seasonal influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 are circulating). Coadministration might increase short-term side effects (greater reactogenicity), such as fever, soreness, body aches, or headache, especially when administering more than one vaccine containing a non-aluminum adjuvant designed to enhance the immune response. While these side effects are not unsafe, they may be unpleasant for a day or two. If you are confident that a patient will return, the patient may prefer to separate the administration of vaccines that are less time-sensitive (e.g., shingles vaccine) to reduce the likelihood of uncomfortable side effects. There is no specific minimum interval between non-live vaccines, so separation by just a few days is acceptable, if desired.
Last reviewed:
January 22, 2024
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Vaccine Administration
An error was made resulting in an infant receiving RSV vaccine instead of the nirsevimab RSV preventive antibody. What should be done?
The safety and effectiveness of RSV vaccines have not been studied in infants. The family should be informed of the error, and nirsevimab should be administered as recommended as soon as feasible. CDC experts recommend that if you administer nirsevimab within 72 hours of the error, and you know where the RSV vaccine was injected, you should administer the nirsevimab in a different anatomic site. Facilities that stock RSV vaccine and nirsevimab should put systems and procedures in place to prevent this type of error, including staff training, clear labeling, and warnings in storage units. This medication error and any suspected adverse events following the error should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) at https://vaers.hhs.gov.
For additional information about this type of error, see CDC’s COCA Now: Clinician Outreach Communication Activity update, dated January 22, 2024, at https://emergency.cdc.gov/newsletters/coca/2024/012224.html.
CDC has developed a job aid to help clinical staff reduce the risk of administration errors related to RSV vaccines and nirsevimab:
• Only Administer Nirsevimab (Beyfortus, Sanofi) to Young Children (www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rsv/downloads/rsv-error-prevention-children.pdf)
Last reviewed:
February 5, 2024