Pregnant women and older people across England will be routinely vaccinated against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for the first time, the NHS has said.
From 1 September the NHS will vaccinate pregnant women from 28 weeks onwards and adults turning 75. Adults aged 75 to 79 will be offered a catchup vaccine to make sure they are protected.
Previous studies have shown that giving pregnant women the RSV vaccine reduces the risk of babies experiencing severe lung infections in the first six months of life by about 70%.
The RSV vaccine has been approved by the medicines regulators in the UK, as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
A recent study in the Lancet showed that a vaccination programme could prevent 5,000 hospitalisations and 15,000 A&E attendances for infants. The same modelling suggested that the first season of the older adults catchup programme could prevent about 2,500 hospital admissions, 15,000 GP visits and 60,000 RSV illnesses.
Source: The Guardian, 2 September 2024
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