UKHSA data from NHS GP practice records shows 33.6% of women who delivered in September had the RSV vaccine.
With women delivering in September having a relatively short window to take up the offer, the data shows the new maternal RSV programme got off to a positive start in its first month of introduction. Further coverage data for October births, with pregnant women having had a longer window in which to get vaccinated, will be published in a month’s time. The most recent week-to-week data from the NHS in England shows that over 140,000 pregnant women have now been vaccinated since the programme launched in September.
‘The RSV vaccine offers a vital opportunity for any mums-to-be to protect their babies from severe RSV lung infection and it’s encouraging to see the RSV programme getting off to such a positive start with over a third of women who gave birth in September having had the vaccine,’ said Dr Conall Watson, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA.
‘Every year in the UK around 30,000 under 5s are hospitalised, and tragically RSV causes 20 to 30 infant deaths. That is why every pregnant woman is eligible to get vaccinated as soon as they reach 28 weeks – providing protection for their newborn against RSV in the vulnerable early months of life.’
The data shows considerable variability in uptake by ethnic group ranging from 11% in women of mixed white and black Caribbean ethnicity to over 50% in white Irish and Chinese ethnic groups.
RSV accounts for around 30,000 hospitalisations of children under 5 in the UK every year, and tragically causes 20 to 30 infant deaths.
Despite infecting around 90% of children within the first 2 years of life, RSV is not something that many people are aware of. It typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms. However, it can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis.
‘Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, 140,000 pregnant women have had the RSV vaccine since we began offering it in September, with vaccination and maternity teams across the country raising awareness ,’ said Steve Russell, NHS England National Director for Vaccinations.