For the first time, the health service will offer the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine as part of its vaccination drive, NHS England (NHSE) has confirmed.
The RSV vaccine will be offered to those aged 75-79 and pregnant women from 28 weeks.
The roll-out will coincide with the winter Covid-19 and flu jab campaigns, as the NHS looks to prepare for winter.
“These viruses leave thousands of people in hospital each year, and the vaccinations help us to keep more people well during the winter months when we expect the NHS to again be under significant pressure,” said NHSE’s national director for vaccinations and screening, Steve Russell.
Andrew Gwynne, minister for public health and prevention, added: “For the first time ever this year, we’re offering RSV vaccinations as well as Covid and flu doses, supporting the most vulnerable people and protecting our NHS this winter.”
Thousands of people, including doctors and nurses, backed a call earlier this year to roll out the RSV vaccine to infants and adults this winter. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health highlighted that doing so could save:
- 108,000 GP appointments
- 74,000 A&E visits
- 20,000 hospitalisations
The roll-out will be based on the latest evidence from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
Public health director at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Dr Mary Ramsay, commented: “Winter vaccinations offer huge opportunities to prevent severe illness in those most vulnerable including pregnant women, young children and older people as well as easing NHS winter pressures.”
The UKHSA is currently planning around the mpox outbreak in Africa, which has seen the World Health Organisation (WHO) declare a public health emergency. WHO has engaged emergency vaccine protocols to help lower-income countries benefit from expedited vaccine access.
The UKHSA also recently described the rise in antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea cases as “concerning”. There have been 31 total cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea since 2015 – this includes 15 between June 2022 and May 2024.
President at the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, Professor Matt Phillips, recently authored an exclusive article for National Health Executive’s digital magazine where he outlined the urgent need for a national sexual health strategy. Click here to read more.
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