What is the RSV vaccine and why should I have it if I'm pregnant?
A new NHS vaccine for pregnant women helps protect newborns from RSV. Our GP explains why it's important and how it keeps babies safe.
On 1 September 2024, the NHS started vaccinating people against the respiratory syncytial virus, a leading cause of infant mortality around the world, for the first time in history.
The vaccine is now offered to all pregnant women on the NHS from 28 weeks onwards. Here's everything you need to know about how the vaccine protects your baby, when you'll be offered it and any side effects that you may experience.
What is the RSV vaccine?
RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus, and the RSV vaccine protects against the virus. RSV generally leads to upper respiratory tract infections, coughs and colds, and most people will be unwell for a few days before getting better by themselves.
However, in the elderly and in babies, RSV can lead to pneumonia and bronchiolitis, which is a kind of chest infection that affects babies. These conditions can be serious, require hospital admission and can even be fatal.
When did the RSV vaccine become available for pregnant women on the NHS?
The MHRA, the agency which regulates medications in the UK, licensed the RSV vaccination in 2023, and the vaccination rollout began on the NHS from 1 September 2024.
At what stage of pregnancy are women advised to get the vaccine?
It is recommended that you get the vaccine during the third trimester of pregnancy, from 28 weeks of pregnancy. This is because the vaccine will stimulate your immune system to produce antibodies, which then pass to your baby via the placenta. This means that your baby will be protected from RSV when it is born and for the first 6 months. The vaccine is effective, reducing the risk of severe bronchiolitis in the baby by 70%.
The vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines given in pregnancy, such as the whooping cough and flu vaccinations.
Are there any side effects to the vaccine, and is it safe?
Like any vaccine, there can be side effects, though these are generally mild. Side effects can be local, such as swelling or redness around the site where the injection was given. Other side effects include aches and pains and a headache. Very rarely, an allergic reaction can occur, and extremely rarely, there have been cases of Guillain Barré syndrome, which is a neurological condition.
The RSV vaccine has been given to many women globally and is safer than the risk of your baby developing RSV. It has been approved by the MHRA in the UK.
Are there any women who shouldn’t have the vaccine?
If you have had an anaphylaxis allergic reaction to an ingredient in the vaccine, or a previous dose of the vaccine, you should not have the RSV vaccine. If you have a fever, wait until you are better before having the RSV vaccine.
How effective is the vaccine in protecting babies against RSV?
While no vaccine is a complete guarantee, the vaccine can reduce the risk of severe bronchiolitis by 70%, and if a baby does get bronchiolitis, it is less likely to be severe.
What are the symptoms of bronchiolitis in babies?
- Slight fever: a raised temperature
- Runny/blocked nose or sneezing
- Decreased appetite: less interest in food and eating than normal
- Irritability: your baby may be more irritable than is normal for them
- Fast or noisy breathing: if your child is having difficulty breathing or working hard to breathe. If you see any of the following, please seek urgent medical help:
- rapid breathing (for a child under 1 year: approx 30 to 40 breaths per minute; for a child between 1 and 2: 25 to 35 breaths per minute)
- grunting noises
- nostrils flaring with each breath
- the muscles between and underneath the ribs pull in with each breath
- 'tracheal tug' (seeing the windpipe move down with each breath.
Pics: Getty Images
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Authors
Dr Philippa Kaye works as a GP in both NHS and private practice. She attended Downing College, Cambridge, then took medical studies at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’s medical schools in London, training in paediatrics, gynaecology, care of the elderly, acute medicine, psychiatry and general practice.