Winter virus jab rolled out for pregnant women and elderly

A vaccine programme for protecting newborns and elderly from respiratory syncytial virus or RSV is set to be launched in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Monday after a pilot scheme in Scotland. 
 
RSV is among the pneumonia viruses that result in coughs and colds during the winter season and when affecting babies and young children may lead to severe and sometimes fatal respiratory problems. 
 
in a new development, pregnant women with at least 28 weeks or gestation and people with comorbidities in the 75-79 age bracket will be given the vaccine. 
 
In last month, Scotland has started their RSV vaccination programme. 
 
Andrew Gwynne, England’s minister for public health, launched the new jabs and said: “This is so avoidable and that’s why this particular vaccine is useful. ” 
 
His grandson, Lyle, is five years old now and after being in the Intensive Care for two weeks, he survived RSV that he had as a baby. 
 
Mr Gwynne stated, he has no one to go through the kind of worry that him and his family have gone through. 
 
The cases of RSV are expected to require hospitalisations of approximately 20 000 children below five years of age in England annually while the fatalities range up to 30. 
 
About 90 percent of children are infected with this virus before the age of two, and is one of major causes of chest related complications like bronchiolitis in newborns. 
 
The virus also goes with elderly people and contributes to ninety thousand cases of pneumonia admissions annually according to specialists. 
 
In a single winter, pediatrician Yasmin Baki, who works at UCLH in London, sees the hospital’s 500 patients with RSV. 
 
Roy and colleagues also concur with the fact that the serious condition can be fatal and more so to young babies who may have other complications such cardiac illnesses or prematurity. In this case those babies appear to be very sickly. " 
 
She encouraged pregnant females to get infected with COVID and said the vaccine can be a game-changer this winter. 
 
‘It could alter it to what is presented at the front door of A&E here, in relation to frail young babies. ’ 
 
NHS England has reported that the research of the thousands of pregnant women across the globe who have received RSV vaccine or antibody, states that this has led to a cut of about 70% in the possibility of severe lung infection in their babies in the first six months of life. 
 
A study published in the Lancet this week claimed vaccination could save 5,000 stays for infants in hospitals and A&E visits at that age, as well as 2,500 for elderly people this winter, which NHS England also said could ease the burden on stewards as well. 
 
The vaccine is called abrysvo and which is manufactured by the Pfizer Company.