New Global Coalition Launches to Address the Hidden Threat of RSV in Adults

VIENNA, Austria, Oct. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new global coalition, the RSV Alliance, has been launched to raise awareness about the risks of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, with a focus on aging populations and individuals with underlying health conditions.

With core members including leading advocacy organizations the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) and the Global Allergy and Airways Patient Platform (GAAPP), alongside GSK, and with the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI) providing scientific oversight, the RSV Alliance seeks to drive education, advocacy, and collaboration to improve prevention and care for those most vulnerable to RSV.

RSV is often thought to primarily affect infants and young children, but it also poses a serious and underrecognized risk to older adults with certain underlying conditions. “As a person with controlled asthma, I was not aware of the impact an RSV infection could have on my lungs,” said Gundula Koblmiller. She continued, “It took me several weeks to regain full confidence in my lung health again and months to be sure I had overcome the RSV infection.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), RSV causes an estimated 110,000 to 180,000 hospitalizations annually among adults aged 50 and older in the United States, with the highest burden among those aged 75 and older, individuals with chronic heart or lung disease, weakened immune systems, or those living in long-term care facilities¹. According to a 2024 study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was responsible for an estimated 118,000 deaths globally in 2019, with the highest burden occurring among infants and older adults².

“RSV is often underestimated in older adults and those with underlying conditions,” said Tonya Winders, CEO of the Global Allergy and Airways Patient Platform. “Through the RSV Alliance, we hope to elevate understanding, drive prevention strategies, and ensure that those at risk have access to the resources and care they need.”

Despite its impact, awareness of RSV among adults remains low. The RSV Alliance aims to close this gap by supporting global initiatives, promoting patient and healthcare professional education, and strengthening advocacy efforts to advance prevention and policy change.

The Alliance will mark its public launch during RSV Awareness Week, November 3–7. More information, including educational resources and ways to get involved, will be available soon at www.gaapp.org.

About the RSV Alliance

The RSV Alliance is a coalition between GAAPP, IFA, GSK, and ESWI dedicated to raising awareness, education, and advocacy around respiratory syncytial virus infections, particularly for aging populations and those with chronic health conditions. With funding from GSK, and managed by GAAPP, the RSV Alliance brings together patient advocacy, scientific expertise, and global collaboration to improve prevention and care.

About GAAPP

The Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform (GAAPP) is an umbrella organization founded in 2009 to bring a collective patient voice to the global conversation on atopic, allergy, and airway diseases. Today, the organization comprises more than 188 patient organizations that advocate for global policy and access to care for over 800 million people living with these conditions.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RSV in Older Adults and Adults with Chronic Medical Conditions. Updated 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/adults/index.html 
2. The Lancet.  Global, regional, and national incidence and mortality burden of non-COVID-19 lower respiratory infections and aetiologies, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 - The Lancet Infectious Diseases.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(24)00176-2/fulltext#supplementary-material

Contact Stephanie Williams swilliams@gaapp.org