A Buckinghamshire mum has told of the terrifying experience when her baby son was hospitalised due to RSV and is urging pregnant women to get the vaccine which will be available next month.

Claire Harding, from Princes Risborough, who works as an adult nurse at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, recalls when her son became unwell last Christmas when he was just 20 months old.

She said: “He had been under the weather for a few days – high temperature, a bit chesty, off his food, not his usual self.

"The GP said to take him to A&E if he deteriorates. One morning I could see what is known as abdominal tugging where his tummy was contracting inwards as he breathed so we took him to A&E at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and he was seen straight away.

“It was awful and very stressful. It was really difficult to get a toddler to wear a nebuliser. I wouldn’t wish it on any parent. As the RSV virus progressed his oxygen levels would be ok in the day but would keep dropping at night and we had some very stressful nights in the hospital while they tried to stabilise him.”  

Thomas remained in hospital for five days and since then has to use a reliever inhaler every time he gets a cold. 

The UK Health Security Agency and Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are highlighting the benefits that the new RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccination programme is expected to bring following its introduction from September.

Despite infecting around 90% of children within the first two years of life, RSV is not something that many people are aware of. It typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms. However, it can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis and is a leading cause of infant mortality globally.

Claire, now 32 weeks pregnant with her second child, has already signed up for the vaccine.

She added: “I am so lucky that the timing has worked out that I can have the vaccine before I give birth again. There is no way I want to go through RSV again and I know it could be even more dangerous for a younger child. I would advise any pregnant woman who is eligible to have the vaccine. It could save your child and your family from a very stressful experience if your child catches the virus at a young age.” 

RSV illness is the main cause of winter pressures in children’s hospitals each year leading to pressure on paediatric intensive care units, including cancelled operations. 

It accounts for approximately 20,000 hospitalisations in children under one year-of-age and is responsible for 20 to 30 infant deaths a year in the UK.

The UKHSA continues to work rapidly with NHS colleagues to ensure an effective roll out of the two new programmes and will also monitor the impact of the programmes through its routine national surveillance.

A recent detailed analysis[1] estimated that the new programme launching in England this autumn could typically prevent 5,000 hospitalisations and 15,000 emergency department attendances for infants.