The NHS has announced that pregnant women and older people across England will be routinely vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for the first time.
From 1 September, the NHS will vaccinate pregnant women from 28 weeks of pregnancy and adults who turn 75. Adults aged 75 to 79 will be offered a catch-up vaccination to ensure they are protected.
Previous studies have shown that giving the RSV vaccine to pregnant women reduces the risk of serious lung infections in babies in the first six months of life by about 70%.
The RSV vaccine has been approved by the UK medicines regulatory authority, on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
RSV can cause a lung infection called bronchiolitis, which can make it difficult for babies to breathe and feed. About 20,000 babies are admitted to hospital with the virus in England each year, and it is the leading cause of winter crowding in children’s hospitals and paediatric intensive care units.
The number of RSV cases in children has increased in recent years. In the winter of 2023, an average of 146 young children were hospitalized per day. That is an increase of 11% compared to the peak in previous winters.
A recent study in the Lancet showed that a vaccination program could prevent 5,000 hospitalizations and 15,000 emergency room visits for infants. The same modeling suggested that the first season of the catch-up program for older adults could prevent about 2,500 hospitalizations, 15,000 visits to the primary care physician, and 60,000 RSV illnesses.
Mina Patel, 36, from Kent, said her daughter suspected she had RSV as a baby in 2017, after she was born 12 weeks premature. “She was in hospital with pneumonia and all sorts of lung infections and when she came in with pneumonia they suspected it was RSV,” she said. “The hospital staff suspected it was RSV, although they didn’t put it on paper.”
Patel said the national stockpile of the vaccine would be beneficial for mothers and their babies. “I think the vaccine is worth it because pneumonia and any type of lung infection is dangerous for a vulnerable baby, and so getting RSV as well, that could be harmful.”
Steve Russell, the NHS national director for vaccinations and screening, said: “After months of preparation by our hard-working staff, we are now offering the RSV vaccine for the first time to pregnant women and older people at highest risk. This will help protect the lives of the vulnerable and ease the pressure on the NHS as winter approaches.
“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and those around you. Although RSV infections can occur all year round, cases tend to peak in the winter. That’s why it’s important that those eligible take up the NHS offer as soon as possible this autumn.”
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Prof Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “This new vaccine offers enormous potential to prevent serious illness in those most vulnerable to RSV, helping to protect lives and ease the winter pressure on the NHS. UKHSA has provided crucial scientific information to prove the benefits of a national RSV immunisation programme and so the rollout of the vaccine is a really positive moment for public health.”
Kate Brintworth, head of midwifery at NHS England, said: “Vaccination is a vital way to protect babies, women and families, and also helps manage the increased pressure on NHS capacity over the winter period.
“I would like to thank everyone who has worked to make this groundbreaking vaccination rollout a reality, and with almost 30 years’ experience as a midwife, I appreciate all the efforts across the NHS to bring together vaccination and maternity services so it is easy for women to get an RSV jab as soon as they are eligible.”