How the new maternal RSV vaccination prevents serious illness in Scotland: 219 babies and counting
Posted on 01 December 2025 by Ross McQueenie
- Immunisations
Public Health Scotland (PHS), in collaboration with the Universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde, Edinburgh and Oxford, have published a groundbreaking study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, showing that infants under three months of age, whose mothers received the RSV vaccination during pregnancy, had around 80% reduced risk of hospitalisation due to an RSV infection compared to infants whose mothers were unvaccinated.
In our latest blog, Ross McQueenie, Lead – Vaccine Effectiveness and Infectious Respiratory Inequalities, at PHS, shares his thoughts on good news that’s getting even better as more mothers take up the vaccine.
RSV is a very common seasonal illness that can sometimes be severe, especially for young babies and older adults. This year’s RSV season is underway, with cases rising among infants under one year old. We’re keen to build on the success of last year’s new maternal RSV vaccination programme and see its benefits reach even more families.
The difference a year makes
In 2023-24, we saw nearly 600 babies under three months of age admitted to Scottish hospitals with RSV infections so severe that they struggled to breathe and feed. Some of these babies will have been so poorly that they required intensive care.
In 2024-25, with similar levels of RSV infection circulating in Scotland, PHS and academic partners are now able to report that children of mothers who had the vaccine had around 80% lower odds of RSV-related hospital admissions in their first three months of life compared to unvaccinated mothers. This translates into 219 fewer infant admissions to hospital with a severe RSV-related illness during the winter period.
The RSV vaccine, available to pregnant women year-round, was launched in August 2024. This was scheduled ahead of the late autumn and winter peak RSV season. Women were offered the vaccine from 28 weeks into their pregnancies, which then allows them to develop and share protective antibodies with their unborn babies
The early results from Scotland’s maternal RSV vaccine programme study show just how much of a difference this protection can make — for babies, for families, for hospitals, and for public health.
Good news for babies
RSV is an incredibly common virus. Nearly all children will catch it before they’re two, most before their first birthdays, and some when they’re a few weeks old. Usually, RSV will cause cold or flu-like symptoms but, because babies have such small airways, an RSV infection can lead to bronchiolitis and pneumonia. The virus’s prevalence varies each year and it’s hard to predict how many infants will catch it in any one season.
Our study shows how this new vaccine reduced the risk of RSV related hospitalisation by around 80% compared to those who did not receive the vaccine. This included women who gave birth prematurely when infants are most at risk of severe disease. Women who were vaccinated later in their pregnancies - within 14 days of giving birth - did not pass on that protection to infants, so getting the RSV vaccine as close to 28 weeks gestation as possible is important.
Good news for families
Welcoming a new baby should be a joyful time for families and preventing RSV infections benefits whole families who might otherwise suffer if their baby is seriously ill. Anxious parents may also be caring for other children amidst strains on home life, work commitments, time and money. Each year, the RSV vaccine can spare many families the distress of having a severely unwell baby in hospital.
Good news for hospitals
While Scotland’s NHS is ready for seasonal surges in RSV, caring for so many sick babies puts pressure on staff and resources.
The vaccine has the potential to relieve seasonal pressure from RSV. As more pregnant women are vaccinated, and fewer babies become seriously ill with RSV, hospitals will have more capacity to care for other children.
Good news for public health
The early success of the maternal RSV vaccine illustrates the preventative value of public health immunisation programmes. This vaccination, like so many others, stops serious illness and improves the health of children and communities.
Because we were able to gather and analyse the data on the vaccine’s roll-out, uptake and impact in Scotland, we can now contribute to the wider understanding of how to deliver an effective RSV vaccination programme.
Moving from good to great news: improving RSV vaccination uptake
By August 2025, more than half of pregnant women in Scotland had received the RSV vaccine, already making a measurable difference to infant health. Hundreds of families were spared the distress of caring for seriously ill babies, and hospitals experienced less strain on children’s wards.
Still, there is more to do. With RSV cases rising among infants under one year old, we encourage all expectant mothers to protect their newborns by taking up the RSV vaccine at around 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Find out more about the RSV vaccine during pregnancy on NHS Inform
Read our news story from August: New RSV vaccine results in encouraging reduction in hospitalisations for newborns