Pregnancy RSV Vaccine Slashes Newborn Hospital Admissions

A vaccine given during pregnancy to protect newborns from RSV—introduced in 2024 from week 28—has reduced infant RSV hospital admissions by about 80% (nearly 85% if the vaccine is given at least four weeks before birth). A UKHSA study of ~300,000 births in England shows strongest protection when vaccination occurs in the late third trimester, with some benefit even if the baby is born earlier. Uptake is around 64% in England, and doctors urge pregnant people to discuss vaccination with their midwife and aim for vaccination at week 28 or soon after to protect babies through winter.