Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccination

Invites

From September 2024 we will be offering the RSV vaccination to eligible patients. RSV causes respiratory infections in adults & young children.

We will contact you with the booking information when you are eligible.

Who should have the RSV vaccination?

Everyone turning 75 years old on or after the 1 September 2024 will be offered a single dose of RSV vaccine.

This is because older adults are more at risk of serious complications from RSV.

You can still get the vaccine up to the day before you turn 80. For the first year of the programme, the vaccine will also be offered to those who are already aged 75 to 79 years on 1 September 2024 as part of a catch up programme.

Pregnant women are also eligible from 28 weeks onwards, this will be offered via the maternity services.

What is RSV?

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs.

RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including cough, sore throat, sneezing and runny or blocked nose. It can also make you become wheezy or short of breath and lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions.

There is no specific treatment, and most infections will get better by themselves. Every year thousands of older adults need hospital care for RSV, and some of them will die.

RSV can be more severe in people with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or a weakened immune system.

RSV infection is common in young children but is most serious for small babies andfor older people.

Side effects of the RSV vaccine

The most common side effects of the RSV vaccine are mild and do not last long.

They can include:

• swelling or pain where the injection was given
• a headache
• an aching body

More serious side effects, such as a severe allergic reaction are very rare. The person who vaccinates you will be trained to deal with allergic reactions and treat them immediately.

Very rarely, older adults who've had the RSV vaccine may get Guillain-Barré syndrome (a condition that affects the nerves).

Symptoms can include tingling or numbness in your feet and hands, followed by muscle weakness and difficulty moving your joints.

But overall, it's safer to have the vaccine than risk getting a potentially serious RSV infection.

Talk to your doctor or the person vaccinating you if you're worried about side effects.

Further information

Please visit the NHS website