Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common and highly contagious virus that primarily affects the respiratory tract, causing significant illness, particularly in infants.

As it is seasonal, it usually peaks during the winter months and spreads through droplets from coughs and sneezes, or via contact with contaminated surfaces. RSV is a virus, so antibiotics are not an effective treatment.

Each year, RSV poses a substantial health risk to infants and older adults worldwide.

In the UK, RSV accounts for approximately 33,500 hospitalisations annually in children aged 5 and under, resulting in 20 to 30 deaths per year. 75-80% of hospitalisations due to RSV happened during the first 6 months of life.

Is there a suitable RSV vaccine for pregnant woman?

Abrysvo is a recombinant vaccine for the prevention of severe lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in infants up to six months old. It is the only maternal RSV immunisation given to the pregnant woman between 32 – 36 weeks of pregnancy to help protect newborns. It can also be used for older adults over the age of 60 years, in preventing RSV that can lead to breathing difficulties.

Maternal vaccination involves administering vaccines to pregnant women to protect their newborns through the transfer of antibodies. This approach has been effectively used for diseases like whooping cough. Vaccinating pregnant women against RSV provides passive immunity to their babies, safeguarding them against RSV until they can receive their own vaccines. The RSV vaccine must be given at least 2 weeks apart from the whooping cough vaccine.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has assessed the impact of RSV and recommended implementing immunisation programs to protect vulnerable groups, including infants and older adults. Although the specific details and timeline are still being finalised, the program aims to reduce the incidence of RSV-related illnesses among infants, ultimately reducing RSV-related morbidity.

At Fleet Street Clinic, we can offer private RSV vaccination to protect you and your baby, ahead of the NHS roll out.

Abrysvo is an inactivated vaccine and only requires a single dose for protection.

RELATED SERVICES AVAILABLE AT FLEET ST. CLINIC 

RSV Vaccination

Pneumonia Vaccination

Childhood Vaccinations

Flu Jab for Pregnant Mothers and Babies

Wellness Vaccinations

I picked up Covid early in the pandemic and put my newly acquired immunity to good use by joining the Covid medical team at my local hospital for the weeks that followed. There was a side-effect however: a sense of invincibility that has perhaps made me take less care to protect myself from respiratory viruses ever since.

My luck ran out recently while looking after a group of patients with upper respiratory infections. Not all respiratory viruses are equal: we may call them “colds”, but some varieties are considerably more unpleasant than others.

Using PCR, we can now tell the difference between 22 different bugs with pinpoint accuracy, in about an hour. Mine turned out to be parainfluenza type 1 (there are four serotypes, who knew?) – a nasty virus, more common in the USA and among children.

My bout ranked alongside my experience with Covid: the symptoms lasted over three weeks and included a secondary lower respiratory infection requiring antibiotics to clear.

There’s no vaccine as yet against parainfluenza, but there are vaccines against other important respiratory infections – pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV, Covid-19, a newly-recommended adult top-up against whooping cough, and of course flu.

I shall be having all of these vaccines this winter and will take much greater care to protect myself when those around me have “colds”.

RSV is a common and highly contagious respiratory virus that is a leading cause of lung disease. RSV is seasonal, and like other respiratory viruses, its peak incidence is during the winter months each year. It spreads from person to person via droplets, or from infected surfaces or objects. RSV is a virus, so antibiotics are not effective.

Arexvy is a new vaccination designed to protect against lower respiratory tract disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It is an important advance, because no specific treatment for RSV is available, and infection is often severe.

Older adults, and those with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and lung diseases such as asthma and COPD are at the greatest risk of the infection. RSV can exacerbate these underlying conditions and lead to pneumonia.

In the UK, RSV causes more hospitalisations and deaths than flu in those over the age of 60. It is estimated that RSV causes14,000 hospitalisations and an estimated 8,000 deaths in adults 60 years of age and older each year.

Arexvy is a recombinant adjuvanted vaccine for the prevention of RSV is adults 60 years of age and above. It is the only licensed vaccination in the UK that has been authorised for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, meaning at risk adults are now able to be vaccinated against the disease.

Arexvy is as in inactive vaccination and only requires single dose for protection. It can be administered at the same time as other vaccinations including flu, pneumococcal, and COVID.

We are among the first practices in the UK to offer it to adults needing protection.