Pregnant women in the West Midlands are urged to get a new vaccine to protect their baby.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) have announced the new vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
A study estimated that the new programme launching in England this autumn could typically prevent 5,000 hospitalisations and 15,000 emergency department attendances for infants.
A consultant at the UKHSA is calling on pregnant women in the West Midlands to take up the new RSV vaccine that will protect their babies from serious respiratory illnesses.
Paul Fisher, consultant in Health Protection at UKHSA West Midlands said: “RSV is a major cause of respiratory illness, which typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms. However, RSV can be particularly dangerous for infants and elderly people. The virus can lead to pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis, a chest infection, requiring hospitalisation and intensive care in severe cases.
“From September 1 this year, pregnant women can have a vaccine to help protect their babies against RSV. Studies have shown that the RSV vaccine is very safe for pregnant women and their babies.
“Everyone turning 75 years old on or after September 1 will be offered a single dose of the RSV vaccine.
“Your GP surgery will contact you to offer you an RSV vaccination appointment if you are eligible.”
Accordig to the UKHSA RSV illness is the main cause of winter pressures in children’s hospitals each year leading to pressure on paediatric intensive care units, including cancelled operations.
The authority says it accounts for approximately 20,000 hospitalisations in children under one and is responsible for 20 to 30 infant deaths a year in the UK.
The UKHSA continues to work rapidly with NHS colleagues to ensure an effective roll out of the two new programmes and will also monitor the impact of the programmes through its routine national surveillance.
Professor Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Having the vaccine during every pregnancy is the best way to protect your baby against RSV, as the vaccine boosts your immune system to produce more antibodies against the virus, and these then pass through the placenta to help protect your baby from the day they are born. The vaccine reduces the risk of severe bronchiolitis by 70% in the first six months of life.
“The RSV vaccine is the safest way to protect you and your baby. It has been approved by medicines regulators in the UK, Europe and the USA. Many thousands of women have had the vaccine in other countries, including more than 100,000 women in the USA.”
Andrew Gwynne, minister for Public Health and Prevention, said: “Sadly my grandson caught RSV, just days after he was born. It led to weeks in intensive care and persistent, long-lasting health issues. I wouldn’t wish that on any family. This new vaccine programme offers us an opportunity to prevent similar trauma, helping stop thousands of hospitalisations while saving precious lives.
“I urge everyone eligible to get the vaccine. By doing so, you will provide protection from the first day of your baby’s life and safeguard your child’s future.”
