THE Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is offering local clinics for the RSV vaccine as part of the UK-wide programme.

Pregnant women will now be able to access a vital new vaccination at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which will help protect their newborn babies from contracting Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

Offered as part of a nationwide programme launched on September 1, the vaccine is expected to save lives and ease the burden on the NHS during the challenging winter months.

From 28 weeks of pregnancy, women will be offered a single dose of the RSV vaccine, ensuring their babies are born with essential protection against the potentially serious virus.

Pregnant women will become eligible as they reach 28 weeks gestation and remain eligible until birth.

Symptoms of RSV are mild for many but can lead to severe illness, especially in young children and the elderly. The new vaccine works by helping pregnant women produce antibodies that are passed through the placenta to their unborn babies, offering critical protection against the virus from birth.

RSV is a leading cause of severe respiratory illness, especially in infants, and can result in pneumonia and bronchiolitis - conditions that sometimes require hospitalisation or intensive care.

In the UK, RSV leads to approximately 30,000 hospitalisations of children under five annually and causes between 20 to 30 infant deaths each year.

Carla Malpeli, who is leading the Trust's RSV vaccination clinics said:

“By offering this vaccine at local clinics, we have a significant opportunity to protect those most vulnerable to RSV, especially during the challenging winter months when pressures on the NHS are at their highest.

“This vaccine reduces the risk of severe RSV lung infections by around 70% in the first six months of life, providing a vital boost to the immune system of both pregnant women and their babies.”