Much more than a 'bad cold': Tracy’s frightening RSV story

Sponsored by GSK – When Tracy, a GSK patient advocate and 66-year-old retiree, started coughing, she assumed it was just her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) acting up again. Little did she know, it was the beginning of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.

For most people, RSV infections come with mild symptoms, like a runny nose, sneezing, or coughing, and go away on their own in a week or two. But for older adults like Tracy, who was 64 years old at the time, it can be much more serious, even life-threatening. "Everybody thinks it's a cold, a bad cold," Tracy said. "And it could be a lot worse than a bad cold."

The first thing Tracy noticed was a bad headache, and then the cough came on. Having lived with COPD for a decade, she was used to the coughing. But when the cough became uncontrollable to the point where she couldn't stay standing, her husband insisted they go to the emergency room.

"That coughing was the kind that you cough, and your side hurt, and your stomach hurt, and you couldn't quit coughing no matter what you did," Tracy said.

In the emergency room, she was evaluated and diagnosed with RSV, and her case was deemed so severe that she was admitted to the hospital. As her doctor explained, her COPD had made the RSV symptoms more severe for her than they might have been otherwise.

For older adults like Tracy, RSV can also lead to serious illness like pneumonia. Each year, approximately 177,000 adults 65 years and older are hospitalized in the US due to RSV, and an estimated 14,000 of those cases result in death.

"I was very scared," Tracy said.

There's no specific treatment or cure for RSV, so the doctors provided supportive care for her symptoms. After five days, she was sent home from the hospital, but the ordeal had left her exhausted. It took two weeks for her symptoms to improve, and even then, the cough and fatigue persisted.

Her experience highlights just how severe RSV can be for an older adult. It also reinforces the importance of helping to protect against RSV through vaccination.

Before she got sick, Tracy didn't have the option of getting vaccinated to help protect against RSV, but that changed last year when RSV vaccination became available for older adults. The CDC recommends a single dose of RSV vaccine for adults ages 60-74 who are at increased risk for severe RSV disease and all adults ages 75 and older.

Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with RSV and want to tell your story and help others, like Tracy? Compensation may be available for eligible advocates. Reach out to [email protected] and find out if you qualify.

If you're 75 years or older, or you're 60-74 years old with certain underlying health conditions, visit AREXVY.com and talk to your doctor or pharmacist about getting vaccinated against RSV with AREXVY (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Adjuvanted).

Please see full Prescribing Information available at AREXVY.com and the following Important Facts About AREXVY.

Important Facts About AREXVY (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Adjuvanted)

What is AREXVY (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Adjuvanted)?

• AREXVY is an FDA-approved vaccine for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in people 60 years of age and older

What is RSV and what causes it?

• RSV is a respiratory virus that typically causes mild symptoms but can lead to serious respiratory illness in older adults. It can cause lower respiratory tract disease, which may include infections of the lungs and lower airways

• RSV spreads via respiratory droplets. It can lead to more severe symptoms in people with long-term respiratory or heart diseases

How does AREXVY work?

• AREXVY is a vaccine that works to boost your immunity to protect against LRTD caused by RSV

How is AREXVY given?

• AREXVY is given as a single dose (0.5 mL) into the muscle of the upper arm

Who should not get AREXVY?

• You should not receive AREXVY if you are allergic to any of its ingredients

What are the potential side effects?

• Fainting can happen after getting injectable vaccines, including AREXVY. Precautions should be taken to avoid injury due to fainting

• Some people with weakened immune systems may have reduced immune responses to AREXVY

• The most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain

Additional Important Information:

• Vaccination with AREXVY may not result in protection of all vaccine recipients

• Ask your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of AREXVY. Only a healthcare provider can decide if AREXVY is right for you

Need more Information?

• This is only a summary of important information

• To learn more about AREXVY, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider

• Visit AREXVY.com or call 888-AREXVY9 (888-273-9899) for the FDA-approved product labeling

You are encouraged to report vaccine adverse events to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Visit www.vaers.hhs.gov to file a report, or call 1-800-822-7967.

Tracy was compensated by GSK for her participation in this program.

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©2024 GSK or licensor.

PMUS-RSAADVR240002 October 2024

Produced in USA.