RSV VACCINE
Last Updated: Tuesday, 27 August 2024RSV is a common virus that causes coughs and colds in the winter, and is transmitted through large droplets and secretions from infected people. Infants under one year old and the elderly are at the highest risk of developing severe disease from RSV.
As of September 2024, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine is available to the following groups of people:
- Older adults: Anyone turning 75 years old on or after September 1, 2024 will be offered a single dose of the vaccine, and can receive it up until the day before their 80th birthday. Adults who are 75–79 years old on September 1, 2024 will also be eligible for the vaccine as part of a catch-up program for the first year.
- Pregnant women: Pregnant women will be offered the vaccine from 28 weeks' gestation.
RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs. RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including: cough sore throat sneezing a 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 and for older people.