Mum urges pregnant women to take up RSV vaccine

Alice Cook, a mother from the West of England, is urging pregnant women to take advantage of a new vaccine that can help protect their babies from a serious virus known as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This plea comes after Alice witnessed her newborn daughter, Henrietta, fall seriously ill at just three weeks old due to RSV. Alice described her experience, saying, 'Seeing Henrietta in the hospital was terrifying, and I wouldn’t wish that experience on any other family. ' The UK Health Security Agency, along with the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), is rolling out the vaccine to women who are over 28 weeks pregnant starting from September 1. When Henrietta became ill, she developed a cough and fever, and she struggled to breathe on her own. She required emergency treatment in the hospital, where she was given oxygen and feeding tubes. RSV is a common virus that infects about 90% of children within their first two years of life. It is a leading cause of infant mortality worldwide and results in approximately 20,000 hospital admissions for children under one year old. The virus usually causes mild symptoms similar to a cold, but it can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and bronchiolitis, which is an inflammation of the airways in the lungs. The JCVI estimates that around 60% of pregnant women will take the vaccine, which could potentially prevent around 70,000 cases of RSV in infants. Alice is passionate about encouraging more mothers to get vaccinated. She expressed her feelings, saying, 'Since there is no medication available for RSV, I felt completely helpless, and it was a waiting game to see if she would recover. ' Fortunately, nine months later, Henrietta is now a happy and healthy baby, but Alice reflected on how challenging those first few weeks were, stating, 'It was not the joyful newborn experience I had imagined. ' Another mother, Carmen Murillo, who recently gave birth to her daughter three months ago, shared her thoughts on the vaccine. Carmen, who lives in Bristol, mentioned that she would have opted for the vaccine if it had been available during her pregnancy. She said, 'I made sure to get all my vaccinations while I was pregnant, and I think this is a brilliant idea. If it’s what my baby needs, I would definitely go for it. ' Dr. Matthew Dominey from NHS England South West acknowledged that some mothers may feel hesitant about the vaccine, but he reassured them that it has undergone extensive testing and is safe for use. He stated, 'We are hopeful that this vaccine will prevent many infants from needing hospital care, which will help free up resources and allow us to treat other sick babies more effectively. ' In addition to the maternal vaccine program, a free RSV vaccine will also be available for individuals turning 75 years old on or after September 1.