Vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms in adults with strong immune systems, including a sore throat, cough, muscle aches, and nasal congestion. However, RSV can lead to serious lung problems in infants and young children. There are two subtypes of the virus: subtype A and subtype B. The infection is seasonal, occurring from October to April.

RSV is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections that require hospitalisation for infants and young children.

Infants and children under one year of age are particularly at high risk, as they can become severely ill. This includes premature infants (those born before 37 weeks of gestation), who may develop respiratory failure requiring intensive care and, in rare cases, may die.

Antibodies can be transferred from a vaccinated woman to her fetus, providing protection against RSV infection for the newborn. Since there is currently no vaccine for RSV specifically for children, vaccinating pregnant women allows infants to develop passive immunity with antibodies from birth to six months of age, a critical period when RSV infection is most severe.

The optimal time for pregnant women to receive the vaccine is from the 28th week of pregnancy. It is advisable to receive the vaccination from the beginning of September (one month before the start of the RSV season) to the end of February (one month before the end of the RSV season).

Additionally, it is possible to receive vaccinations against influenza and pertussis simultaneously with the RSV vaccine.

See: Vaccination during pregnancy