Pregnant women across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are eligible for a new vaccination to help protect against an illness which can affect the lungs of their unborn baby.
A new national respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine programme started this week and is being offered to women who are 28 weeks or more pregnant.
Despite infecting around 90% of children within the first 2 years of life, RSV is relatively unknown among the public.
It typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms. However, it can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis which can result in hospital admissions.
Dr Charlotte Hutchings, a GP in Hampshire, said:
“We know pregnancy can be quite overwhelming when you’re not only looking after yourself, but doing the best you can for your unborn baby.
“Often there is a lot of advice given and it can be confusing to know what to follow.
“In the UK we have a proud history of successful vaccination programmes, which over decades has seen once common diseases such as polio and diphtheria eradicated.
Article continues below this advertisement “This new RSV vaccine has been robustly tested and is proven to help newborn babies fight off the virus should they become ill with it in the first few years of their life.
“By giving the vaccine to a pregnant woman, the antibodies are passed on to their unborn child in the womb, so they are born with better immunity against RSV.
“I would encourage all eligible pregnant women to take up the offer of the vaccination, or to talk to your midwife if you have any questions or concerns.”
Alongside RSV, from this week pregnant women can also come forward for their seasonal flu vaccination.
Pregnancy changes how the body responds to infections such as flu and make you become more ill. Young babies also have a higher risk of getting seriously ill if they get flu, but a flu jab will help protect both you and your baby.
The COVID-19 vaccination will also be available for pregnant women from 3rd October. Further details will be available as the programme is rolled out.
Pregnant women are also eligible to have the whooping cough vaccine around the time of the 20-week scan. Whooping cough is a serious infection that causes long bouts of coughing and choking, making it hard to breathe. It is a highly infectious, serious illness that can lead to complications such as pneumonia in young babies.
To find out more about vaccinations in pregnancy, visit nhs.uk/vaccination.
