Pregnant Women Advised on Whooping Cough and RSV Vaccinations

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has recommended that pregnant women receive vaccinations for both whooping cough and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This advisory follows a recent increase in whooping cough (pertussis) incidents, a condition known to surge in the UK every three to five years. Infants contracting whooping cough face risks of hospitalisation and mortality. RSV, a frequent cause of coughs and colds, typically infects individuals multiple times throughout their lives. According to NHS Frimley’s maternity website, vaccination can decrease the likelihood of severe RSV lung infection by approximately 70% during a baby’s initial six months. The NHS Frimley maternity website specifies that pregnant individuals are eligible for the whooping cough vaccine starting from 16 weeks of gestation, while the RSV vaccine can be administered from 28 weeks. Furthermore, the NHS is urging pregnant women to seek protection against influenza and Covid-19. This recommendation aims to avert a potential “tripledemic” involving RSV, flu, and Covid.