Don’t let respiratory syncytial virus surprise you – Get vaccinated

WHAT IS RSV?

Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious. Infants and older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalisation.

The virus tends to have a seasonal transmission pattern with peak transmissions occurring during the winter months like influenza.  RSV spreads rapidly between humans and is not found in any other animal.

The incubation period for RSV is between 2-8 days and can be caught through respiratory droplets, which are usually coughs and sneezes. So to prevent transmission make sure you cover your mouth when you sneeze and always catch it, bin it, kill it just like the the famous COVID campaign.

RSV is a very common disease, and by 2 years of age most individuals in the UK will have caught the disease, the main cause of bronchiolitis in infants.

Protection against RSV is often only partial and individuals may be infected repeatedly with the same or different strains.    

Current estimates for older adults suggest that there are approximately 1200 deaths per year in patients between 45 and 75 years of age and 4000 deaths in those over 75.

RSV Vaccination for 60 years of age and over 

If you are age 60 or older, a vaccine is available to protect you from severe RSV. Talk to one of our pharmacists to see if it’s right for you.  

See the UK official insert of this vaccine here: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.15309.pdf

RSV Vaccination for Pregnant Women 

Pfizer’s RSV vaccine, Abrysvo is now available from us as a private vaccination.

This is the first and only RSV vaccine approved for pregnant women to help lower their babies’ risk of RSV from birth to 6 months.

Maternal immunisation refers to the process of vaccinating a pregnant woman so protective antibodies can be passed to the baby through the placenta before birth.

Get vaccinated during weeks 28 through 36 of your pregnancy (i.e., 32 weeks and zero days’ through 36 weeks and 6 days’ gestation) so you can pass RSV protection to your baby.  If possible, give two weeks interval between the whooping cough and RSV vaccinations.

This vaccine is fully authorised in the UK (see the official insert below).  The NHS is likely to start a national maternal and/or infant RSV vaccination programme(s) in autumn 2024 or later, however there is no fixed plan yet (see JCVI minutes from June 2023).

• Nearly 50% of all RSV hospitalisations during the first year occur during the first 3 months of life.
• 75-80% of hospitalisations due to RSV happened during the first 6 months of life.
• Abrysvo significantly reduced the risk of severe RSV in infants up to 6 months.

Currently, there is no RSV vaccination available which can be given to children, for routine NHS or private use.

See the UK official insert of this vaccine here: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.15309.pdf