The RSV vaccine is not an annual one, and that catches people out

RSV vaccination for adults follows rules that differ from the flu and COVID
vaccines people are used to, and the difference is the thing to get right.

Who should have it

• Everyone aged 75 and older
• Adults aged 50–74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV illness

The rule people get wrong

The RSV vaccine is not currently an annual vaccine.

**If you have already received an RSV vaccine — including last year — you
should not get another one at this time.**

Anyone who has been through several years of annual flu and COVID
vaccination will arrive at the pharmacy expecting a yearly dose. Here, having
had it is a reason not to have it again. It is given as a single dose.

Timing

You can get an RSV vaccine at any time of year, but **the best time is
late summer and early autumn** — ahead of the season, with enough time for
protection to develop.

Which one

Three RSV vaccines are licensed by the FDA for adults:

There is no preference for which you should receive. They all work by
causing an immune response that protects against severe respiratory disease if
you encounter RSV later.

So the practical answer to "which one should I ask for" is: whichever one they
have.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.