The Annual Economic Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Adults in the United States

Abstract Background Current estimates of the economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are needed for policymakers to evaluate adult RSV vaccination strategies. Methods A cost-of-illness model was developed to estimate the annual societal burden of RSV in US adults aged ≥60 years. Additional analyses were conducted to estimate the burden of hospitalized RSV in all adults aged 50–59 years and in adults aged 18–49 years with potential RSV risk factors. Results Among US adults aged ≥60 years, the model estimated 4.0 million annual RSV cases (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 2.7–5.6 million) and an annual economic burden of $6.6 billion (95% UI, $3.1–$12.9 billion; direct medical costs, $2.9 billion; indirect costs, $3.7 billion). The 4% of RSV cases that were hospitalized contributed to 94% of direct medical costs. Additional analyses estimated $422 million in annual hospitalization costs among all adults aged 50–59 years. Among adults aged 18–49 years with RSV risk factors, annual per capita burden was highest among people with congestive heart failure at $51 100 per 1000 people. Discussion The economic burden of RSV is substantial among adults aged ≥50 years and among adults aged 18–49 years with RSV risk factors, underscoring the need for preventive interventions for these populations. RSV cases in US adults aged ≥60 years were estimated to contribute a total annual cost of $6.6 billion (95% uncertainty interval, $3.1–$12.9 billion), including $2.9 billion in direct costs and $3.7 billion in indirect costs.