Vaccines Protect Patients from Complications of Measles, RSV, and COVID-19

Kenny Lin, MD, MPH
Posted on August 5, 2024

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, when public and private health organizations are encouraged to highlight the benefits of vaccines for patients of all ages. In a recent webinar, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, discussed how primary care can support federal vaccine efforts, from participating in the national Vaccines for Children program to pre-ordering annual influenza and COVID-19 vaccines to eliciting questions patients and parents may have about vaccines.

Recent publications have reinforced the protective effects of vaccines against complications of measles, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19. In an AFP editorial published online ahead of print, Dr. Doug Campos-Outcalt alerted family physicians to this year’s measles resurgence and its association with a small decline (95% to 93%) in the percentage of kindergarten-age children who have received two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Measles is a highly contagious illness that is not free from complications, as some people believe:

Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, there were an estimated 3 million to 4 million cases of measles each year, leading to 48,000 hospitalizations, 1,000 cases of encephalitis, and 400 to 500 deaths.

Although not technically a vaccine, the monoclonal antibody nirsevimab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July 2023 for the prevention of RSV bronchiolitis in infants younger than 12 months. A prospective, matched case-control study examined the real-world effectiveness of nirsevimab in preventing hospitalization for RSV bronchiolitis in France during the 2023-2024 season, before that country’s implementation of maternal RSV vaccination. Nirsevimab was 83% protective against hospitalization for RSV-associated illness and reduced pediatric intensive care unit admissions by 70%.

COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of infections and hospitalizations; however, there have been conflicting data about whether they are protective against postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC, also known as long COVID). An analysis of a national primary care registry found that breathing difficulties, fatigue, and sleep disturbances often persist after having COVID-19. A large U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs case-control study showed that the rate of PASC decreased during the pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron eras of COVID-19 and was significantly lower among vaccinated people after vaccines became available. Of the overall decrease in PASC, researchers estimated that 28% was attributable to viral changes and 72% attributable to vaccines.

Additional information on immunizations for clinicians and patients is available in AFP by Topic collections on Influenza and Immunizations.