Infant ICU admissions for RSV cut in half after vaccine rollout
Intensive care admissions for newborns with respiratory syncytial virus dropped by around 50% last winter in England, the first full year of the NHS maternal vaccination programme. The UK Health Security Agency reported that 63 infants under 6 months were admitted to intensive care units or higher dependency units with confirmed RSV chest infection across 20 surveyed NHS trusts during the 2025-26 winter season. That compares to historical baselines that ran much higher. Around 60% of women giving birth monthly received the vaccine, though the agency warns many thousands of babies remain at risk.
A maternal vaccine programme is keeping thousands of newborns out of intensive care with severe respiratory illness.
Source: Newborn ICU admissions drop 50% in first full year of RSV maternal vaccine programme (gov.uk). Spotted via The Optimist Daily.
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