Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important respiratory virus that is common during the winter period, usually from November to February. While symptoms are mild for many, RSV is responsible for around 30,000 hospitalisations of children under 5 in the UK each year and between 20 and 30 child deaths.
RSV can also be serious in older adults, causing pneumonia and flare-ups of existing lung disease and other chronic conditions. In the UK, it causes around 9,000 hospitalisations in people aged over 75 each year.
Who is at risk?
RSV can be especially dangerous for infants and the elderly.
RSV is most common in babies under one year of age. Babies are particularly vulnerable to RSV lung infections because they have small airways and limited immunity to the virus, which can lead to a condition called bronchiolitis, which causes inflammation in the lungs.
Infants with severe bronchiolitis may require intensive care, and the infection can be fatal. Older adults may also be at risk for severe RSV lung infections, and the virus causes illness and death in people 75 years of age and older.
Symptoms of RSV
RSV can cause cough or cold, wheezing, shortness of breath, tiredness and fever. Most cases are not serious and clear up within 2 to 3 weeks. You can find out more about the symptoms of RSV on the NHS website.
RSV can also cause bronchiolitis in babies, which can make it difficult for them to breathe and feed. Symptoms of RSV bronchiolitis may include difficult, rapid, or noisy breathing and feeling fussy or hard to console.
Respiratory syncytial virus vaccination
From August 2024 in Scotland and September 2024 in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, women who are 28 weeks pregnant or more and everyone aged 75 to 79 or who will turn 75 on or after 1 September will be offered a vaccine to protect themselves or their babies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
How can I protect my baby from RSV?
The best way to protect babies from RSV infection is for the mother to receive the vaccine during pregnancy. Vaccination reduces the risk of severe RSV lung infection by about 70% during the first six months of life.
The vaccine boosts the pregnant woman’s immune system to produce antibodies that can fight RSV infection. These antibodies then pass through the placenta to help protect the baby from birth.
The vaccine is offered from week 28 of pregnancy, usually in maternity services. If you have not been offered the vaccine around the time of your 28-week antenatal appointment, please contact your maternity service to make an appointment. Receiving the RSV vaccine at week 28 or within a few weeks gives the best protection for your baby, even if it is born early.
Vaccination later in pregnancy will still provide some protection against infection and reduce the risk of passing the infection on to the newborn baby. If an earlier dose was not possible, it can be given just before the baby is born.
Is more than one dose of RSV vaccine necessary?
Pregnant women should receive the RSV vaccine during every pregnancy – this will give their new baby the best protection.
For older adults, a single dose is expected to provide good protection for a few years. A single dose of the vaccine will help boost protection as we reach the age group most at risk for severe RSV infection.
Preventing the spread of RSV
RSV can be spread through coughing and sneezing.
You can help prevent the spread of the virus by covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze (ideally with a tissue or the inside of your elbow) and by washing your hands with soap and warm water frequently to kill germs.
If you have symptoms that could be RSV, you should try to avoid contact with young babies. It is perfectly fine for parents to ask people with colds to stay away from newborn babies, particularly during the first few months, and premature babies.
Even with these measures, it can be difficult to avoid RSV infection.
