New RSV vaccine to be offered to pregnant women

A new vaccine set to be offered to pregnant women from September could prevent five thousand infant hospitalisations every year, according to South West health officials.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are announcing the new vaccine against the RSV virus this morning, with the results of a study on its effectiveness.

On the assumption 60 per cent of pregnant women chose to have the jab, it's thought it could prevent 70,000 babies under 12 months old from getting ill, 20,000 fewer GP consultations and more than 200 intensive care admissions annually.

RSV, which infects around 90 per cent of children within the first two years of their lives, typically causes just a mild cold, but can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis. It is a leading cause of infant deaths globally.

Professor Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “These two new RSV vaccine programmes - one for pregnant women and another for older adults as they turn 75 - offer huge opportunities to prevent severe illness in those most vulnerable to RSV, helping to protect lives as well as ease NHS winter pressures.

“UKHSA has provided critical scientific information to evidence the benefits of a national RSV immunisation programme and so the rollout of the vaccine is a truly positive moment for the public’s health.

"I urge all those eligible, to take up the offer when the programmes begin in September.”

RSV illness is the main cause of winter pressures in children’s hospitals each year leading to pressure on paediatric intensive care units, including cancelled operations. It accounts for approximately 20,000 hospitalisations in children under 1 and is responsible for 20 to 30 infant deaths a year in the UK.

A mum from Bath, Alice Cook, who's daughter Henrietta became seriously ill from the virus, is urging pregnant women to get vaccinated and ensure they give the best protection to their newborns at a time when they are most at risk from RSV.

Alice said: “At 3 weeks old, Henrietta caught a cold from her older sister, which gradually began to get worse. By day 5, she was still struggling with a cough and a fever, and I noticed that she was working really hard to breathe.

“I decided to take her to A&E where she was quickly assessed. The consultant was called and was very worried about her condition. A blood gas reading was taken and within minutes she was being given high flow oxygen through tubes in her nose.

"She also had a tube passed into her tummy as she was too exhausted to feed. This meant that I had to pump milk for the nursing staff to give to her via her tube throughout the night. I felt helpless.

"Thankfully the next day she stabilised, but it was a long 4 days ahead until she was well enough to come off oxygen and establish feeding again.

"I felt so tired and emotional; it was awful not even being able to cuddle Henrietta because of all of the tubes attached to her. As there is no medication you can give for RSV, I felt helpless and it really was a waiting game of whether she would recover.

“Nine months on, Henrietta is now a happy and healthy baby, but those first few weeks of her life were incredibly tough, and not how I pictured the newborn bubble to be.

“I would encourage all pregnant women to take up the RSV vaccine when offered. Henrietta being in hospital was so scary and I wouldn’t wish any other family to go through what we did.”

In addition to the maternal vaccine programme, a free RSV vaccine will be offered to all those turning 75 years on or after 1 September, along with a one-off campaign for those already aged 75-79 years.

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