RSV – respiratory virus vaccination in pregnancy

How the RSV protects your baby

The vaccine boosts your immune system to produce more antibodies against the virus. These antibodies then pass through the placenta to help protect your baby from the day they are born. RSV vaccination reduces the risk of severe bronchiolitis by 70% in the first 6 months of life. After this age your baby is at much lower risk of severe RSV.

Older children and adults can also get RSV infection, but the disease is more serious for small babies and people aged 75 and over.

The vaccine has been shown to reduce the chance of your baby suffering from severe RSV disease. Like all medicines, no vaccine is completely effective and some babies may still get RSV infection despite their mothers having the vaccine. However, for most babies born to vaccinated mums, any RSV infection should be less severe.

When you will be offered the RSV vaccine

You should be offered it around the time of your 28 week antenatal appointment. If you haven’t heard by this stage, contact your maternity service or GP practice to make an appointment. Having the vaccine in week 28 or within a few weeks of this will help you build a good level of antibodies to pass on to your baby before birth. This will give your baby the best protection, including if they are born early.

You can still have the vaccine later in your pregnancy but it may be less effective. If it wasn’t possible to have your vaccine earlier, it can be given right up until you have the baby. If you have it very late in pregnancy, it may still protect you from infection and reduce the risk of you spreading infection to your newborn baby.

Your midwife will ask you to make an appointment at the surgery with the practice nurse when this is due.