A key group of government advisers voted to expand the use of vaccines for a common respiratory illness, providing a boost to manufacturers whose sales fell sharply last year.The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that adults age 50 to 59 who are at high risk of severe respiratory syncytial virus get a single dose of the vaccine.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted Wednesday to recommend lowering the age at which adults can get a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus.

A federal panel of medical experts on Wednesday recommended an expansion of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccinations for adults and a new combination shot as another option to protect teens against meningitis. The 15-member panel typically makes recommendations to the director of the CDC on how vaccines should be used.