VACCINE RESOURCE COMMITTEE
of the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association
View Full List of Vaccine Questions Here
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine Question #2:
Does the RSV vaccine cause Guillain–Barré syndrome?
Information currently available is insufficient in adults 60 years of age and older to determine if there is an increased frequency of these events associated with the vaccines.
There are now three vaccines available to protect older adults from RSV in Canada:
RSVPreF3 (AREXVY, GSK) was authorized on August 4, 2023, to protect adults 60 years of age and older with a recently expanded age indication on November 1, 2024, for adults 50 to 59 years of age at high risk of RSV disease.
RSVpreF (ABRYSVOTM, Pfizer) was authorized on December 21, 2023, to protect adults 60 years of age and older. This formulation is also authorized for pregnant women and pregnant people who are 32 to 36 weeks pregnant to protect infants from RSV.
mRNA-1345 (mRESVIA®, Moderna) was authorized on November 6, 2024, to protect adults 60 years of age and older.
Safety data are limited among adults 60 years of age and older. However, early safety data suggest a potential increased rate of atrial fibrillation events and inflammatory neurologic events, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, after administration of RSVpreF or RSVPreF3 vaccines in adults 60 years of age and older. Information currently available is insufficient to determine if there is an increased frequency of these events associated with the vaccines.
For questions about vaccine safety refer to this section of the Canadian Immunization guide.
Following a thorough review of the evidence, Nation advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) makes the following recommendations for public health program decision-making (i.e., provinces/territories making decisions for publicly funded immunization programs):
NACI continues to strongly recommend RSV immunization programs for adults 75 years of age and older, particularly for older adults who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease.
NACI continues to strongly recommend RSV immunization programs for adults 60 years of age and older who are residents of nursing homes and other chronic care facilities.
Sources:
Government of Canada: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines: Canadian Immunization Guide
Government of Canada: Summary of NACI statement of March 13, 2025: Updated guidance on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines for older adults including the expanded use of RSVPreF3 for individuals 50 to 59 years of age and use of the new mRNA-1345 vaccine