Dr Laura Hole, Paediatric Consultant, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, talks about the RSV virus and how pregnant women can pass protection to their babies in the early weeks and months of life by getting the new vaccine from their midwife at a routine antenatal appointment.

“RSV (or Respiratory Syncytial Virus to give it its full name) is a common seasonal winter virus that causes coughs and colds. Severe cases of RSV are most common in very small infants under a year old and it’s the most common cause of a lung infection called bronchiolitis (inflammation and blockage of the small air tubes in the lung) in children aged under two years. This is because babies have small airways and limited immunity against the virus. In small babies, the virus can make it hard for them to breathe and feed.

Most cases of RSV can be managed at home with self-care, but in the peak winter months last year (October to December) around 150 infants were hospitalised with RSV, which can lead to something called bronchiolitis. The majority of those children were under the age of one.

The best way to protect babies against the RSV infection is for pregnant women to have the vaccine during their pregnancy. This has been available since September 2024.

We know that vaccination reduces the risk of severe RSV infection in the first six months of life. The vaccine boosts the pregnant woman’s immune system to make antibodies that can fight the infection, which passes through the placenta to help protect the baby from birth. Like all medicines, no vaccine is completely effective, and some babies may still get the RSV infection, but for most babies born to vaccinated mums the infection should be less severe.

You can have the RSV vaccine once you’re 28 weeks pregnant. You should speak to your midwife about it at your antenatal appointment. They will advise you how to get an appointment.

If when you’re offered your RSV jab you haven’t yet had your whooping cough or flu vaccines, you can book in for those too. Whooping cough is usually offered earlier in your pregnancy, at around 20 weeks, and flu can be given at any stage of pregnancy. Speak to your midwife, or you may be able to get them via your GP practice

The NHS website has more information about RSV, including the symptoms to look out for in your child and when to seek healthcare advice. Read about it here.