RSV vaccine

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus which causes respiratory infections, mostly affecting the lungs and airways. It is one of the most common causes of colds and coughs in winter in the UK. It results in hundreds of thousands of infections each year.

Most RSV infections lead to mild illness, but infants under one year of age, and the elderly, have the highest risk of experiencing more severe illness. There are between 20 and 30 deaths in the UK each year. Infants aged less than six months frequently develop diseases such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia (lung infections), which make it hard for them to breathe, and may result in hospitalisation.

Since September 2024, RSV vaccination has been routinely available to older adults as they turn 75 years of age, with an initial catch-up also offered to adults who were aged 75 years and over on 1 September 2024 and had not yet reached 80 years of age.

The eligibility criteria expanded further on the 1st April 2026 to also include those aged 80 years and over (with no upper age limit). Adults aged 75 years and over who have not previously received a single dose of RSV vaccine under the NHS RSV campaign may be offered the vaccine from this point forward. In addition, all residents in care homes for older adults will also become eligible, regardless of their age, due to their increased risk from RSV.

Alongside the older adult programme, there is also a maternal programme for pregnant people.  The best window for maternal vaccination is from 28 weeks to 36 weeks of pregnancy, although it is still worth vaccinating up until birth.

A single dose of a vaccine called Abrysvo will be offered to those who are eligible. Abrysvo is a non-live vaccine. This means it cannot cause the disease it protects against.

In the UK, adults aged 75 years of age or older can get a single dose of the RSV vaccine via their GP. Individuals living in care homes for older adults are also eligible.

Pregnant women will become eligible as they reach 28 weeks of pregnancy and remain eligible up to the birth of their child. The nearer to 28 weeks that vaccination takes place, the better the protection offered, especially for babies that go on to be born prematurely. 

To ensure the best protection before the peak RSV season starts, however, the vaccination will be offered all year round.

Abrysvo is the RSV vaccine used in the UK for both older adults and pregnant people. The vaccine has been tested extensively in clinical trials with over 17,000 people over the age of 60 and 4,000 pregnant women to demonstrate it is safe and works well. It has already been used in the USA in over 100,000 pregnant women.

As with any medicine, there is a chance of side-effects.   

Very common side effects that may affect more than 1 in 10 people:

• pain where the injection is given
• headache (only documented in pregnant people)
• muscle pain (only documented in pregnant people)

Common side effects that may affect up to 1 in 10 people:

• redness or swelling where the injection is given

Rare side effects that may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people:

• Guillain-Barré syndrome (recent reported data suggest that this could approximately be 1 in 200,000 older adults)

Very rare side effects that may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people

• allergic reactions

Other RSV vaccines are used in different countries.  If you were vaccinated outside of the UK, ask your healthcare provider which vaccine you received.

As with any vaccine, medicine or food, there is a very small chance of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Anaphylaxis is different from less severe allergic reactions because it causes life-threatening breathing and/or circulation problems. It is always extremely serious but can be treated with adrenaline. Health care workers who give vaccines know how to do this.

In the UK between 1997 and 2003 there was a total of 130 reports of anaphylaxis following ALL immunisations. Around 117 million doses of vaccines were given in the UK during this period. This means that the overall rate of anaphylaxis is around 1 in 900,000.

If you are concerned about any reactions that occur after vaccination, consult your doctor. In the UK you can report suspected vaccine side effects to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) through the Yellow Card Scheme. You can also contact the MHRA to ask for data on Yellow Card reports for individual vaccines. See more information on the Yellow Card scheme and monitoring of vaccine safety.

Other than the active ingredients, Abrysvo contains:

• trometamol
• trometamol hydrochloride
• sucrose
• mannitol
• polysorbate 80
• sodium chloride
• hydrochloric acid
• water

Other vaccines used outside of the UK may contain different ingredients. 

A UK Health Security Agency study, carried out with Nottingham University Hospitals and other NHS trusts, found that the RSV vaccine works well in adults aged 75 to 79 years. It was about 82% effective at preventing hospital admission due to RSV infection. The study also showed that the vaccine is highly effective in preventing hospitalisation for older people with chronic respiratory conditions and those who are immunosuppressed.

Another UK study, led by NHS paediatricians and published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, found that the maternal RSV vaccine was 72% effective at preventing hospital admission in babies when the mother was vaccinated more than 14 days before birth.