The NHS is intensifying its efforts to promote the RSV vaccine for pregnant women at 28 weeks in the South West, aiming to safeguard newborns from severe respiratory illness amid rising awareness and high uptake rates in the region.
The NHS is stepping up its message to pregnant women in the South West: the RSV vaccine should be taken at 28 weeks of pregnancy, alongside the seasonal flu jab, to help protect babies once they are born. Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common infection that often resembles a cold in adults, but it can trigger serious breathing problems in very young infants.
At Royal Cornwall Hospital, vaccination staff are writing to expectant mothers as they reach 28 weeks and inviting them in for immunisation. Amanda Pritchard, a clinical supervisor with the hospital’s vaccination team, said women are given information about RSV at that point in pregnancy and offered flu vaccination at the same appointment. The approach reflects the NHS’s effort to bundle maternity vaccines together and make them easier to access.
The case for uptake is strengthened by the scale of illness RSV can cause in babies. NHS figures show 36 deaths among under-18s from RSV in England last winter, while the health service says vaccination cuts hospital admissions by 85 per cent. Lynne Hall, from the NHS Cornwall vaccination team, said adults usually experience RSV as a routine cough or cold, but babies can become severely ill and need hospital treatment because they struggle to breathe and feed. She said the experience can be deeply distressing for families and added that the UK still loses around 20 to 40 babies a year to the virus.
Take-up in the South West remains higher than in England overall, although health officials say there is still room to improve awareness. Government data published in December 2025 put regional uptake at 72.1 per cent, compared with a national average of 62 per cent, and earlier reports showed similar patterns, with the South West also leading in October 2025 and March 2025. The Isles of Scilly recorded the highest uptake in the latest figures, at 77.8 per cent. Pritchard said many people know little about RSV and some remain cautious about vaccination, while also warning that flu season is approaching and pregnant women face greater risks from influenza.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
