Brief communication: predictors of RSV vaccine uptake among older adults in South Dakota

In fall 2023, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines became available to adults 60 years and older. In this brief communication, we reported the results of a survey of adults 60 years and older, which was fielded in November and December 2023 in South Dakota, a reliably Republican state where the state leadership provided only tepid endorsement for vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey measured RSV vaccine uptake, updated COVID-19 vaccine uptake, flu vaccine uptake, gender, education, income, and partisan self-identification. We estimated a series of logistic regression models with RSV vaccine uptake as the dependent variable and the other variables mentioned above as independent variables. We received 337 responses and found that 14% of our participants already received the vaccine. Regression results showed correlations between RSV vaccine uptake and the uptake of the updated COVID-19 vaccine (β = 1.485, p = 0.001) and flu vaccine (β = 1.378, p = 0.045), showing a connection between receiving one and more vaccines. Public health officials and practitioners can use the conclusions as foundations for developing interventions and communication strategies to increase RSV vaccine uptake among seniors. Our findings were limited because our data came from a single state.