Pregnancy vaccine reduces baby hospital admissions for RSV by 80%

A vaccine administered during pregnancy in the United Kingdom has been shown to reduce hospital admissions of newborns for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections by more than 80%, according to UK health officials.

The vaccine, introduced in 2024, is offered to pregnant women from 28 weeks of pregnancy to protect their babies from RSV, a virus that causes severe chest infections in infants.

RSV affects many babies in their first months of life, with over 20,000 hospital admissions annually in the UK.

The virus can cause symptoms ranging from mild colds to life-threatening lung inflammation.

The vaccine boosts maternal immunity, which is passed to the baby through the placenta, providing protection from birth.

A recent study by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) analysed nearly 300,000 babies born between September 2024 and March 2025.

It found that hospital admissions for RSV were reduced by nearly 85% when the vaccine was given at least four weeks before birth.

Some protection was still observed if the vaccine was administered later in pregnancy.

Dr Conall Watson, national programme lead for RSV at UKHSA, emphasised the importance of timely vaccination, noting that even a two-week interval before birth can offer protection, especially for babies born prematurely.

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