'There is an excellent opportunity for pregnant women to get vaccinated and protect themselves and their infants'

STUDY FINDS THE RSV JAB IN PREGNANCY CAN 'SIGNIFICANTLY' CUT BABY'S INFECTION RISK

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VACCINATING pregnant women against a virus that causes coughs and colds can "significantly" reduce the risk their babies will be hospitalised with a serious lung infection, scientists have found.

A team of researchers, co-led by the University of Edinburgh, said giving pregnant women the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine led to a 72 per cent reduction in babies being hospitalised with the condition.

RSV can lead to a severe lung infection called bronchiolitis, which is dangerous in babies and can result in them being admitted to intensive care. It is the main infectious cause of hospitalisation for babies in the UK and globally.

The study saw researchers examine 537 babies across England and Scotland who were admitted to hospital with severe respiratory disease in the winter of 2024-25. A total of 391 of the babies tested positive for RSV.