CDC and collaborative researchers have demonstrated that a vaccine based on amino acid sequences corresponding to group-specific regions of the RSV G-protein can effectively induce antibodies, facilitate virus clearance, decrease the virus-induced inflammatory response to RSV challenge, and also decrease the enhanced disease following RSV challenge. This composition may be used alone as a vaccine to safely protect infants, children, and adults from RSV, as a booster with other RSV proteins or with inactivated virus as a vaccine to ensure that it can be given safely and effectively improve protection from RSV.