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.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's panel of outside experts on Wednesday recommended the use of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines in younger adults who are at increased risk of severe illness from the virus.