England sees newborn RSV intensive-care admissions halve

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-13 10:21 3 min read

A premature baby receiving oxygen support inside a neonatal intensive care unit incubator.

New surveillance figures show that intensive-care and higher-dependency admissions for RSV among babies under six months fell by about half in England last winter, compared with the previous season.

In 20 NHS trusts monitored through the SARI Watch surveillance system, 63 infants under six months were admitted with a confirmed RSV chest infection in winter 2025-26. The same trusts recorded 131 admissions in 2024-25.

The UK Health Security Agency says the figures provide the first view of the annual impact of the NHS RSV maternal vaccination programme, which is offered from 28 weeks of pregnancy.

The severe RSV admissions recorded by the same trusts

The comparison uses the same 20 participating NHS trusts in both winters, making it a useful measure of change in the monitored hospitals. It does not show every RSV admission in England, nor can it prove that vaccination alone caused the reduction.

England sees newborn RSV intensive-care admissions halve

However, the fall came during the first full winter in which more pregnant women had been eligible for the maternal programme. The scheme began in September 2024, so its wider effect on newborns was expected to become clearer in 2025-26.

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, can cause bronchiolitis in babies. The infection swells the small airways in the lungs and can make breathing and feeding difficult. Many children recover with care at home, but some infants need hospital treatment and, in severe cases, intensive care.

UKHSA also reported lower peak weekly A&E attendances for infant bronchiolitis in 2025-26 and a shorter peak season than in earlier winters. Most bronchiolitis cases seen in hospital are caused by RSV.

Babies born before winter can face the highest seasonal exposure

RSV activity in the 2025-26 season began rising in early November, peaked in December and fell to low levels by March 2026. UKHSA says babies born in late summer and autumn are more likely to be admitted to hospital with RSV, although there is no completely risk-free birth month.

The virus remains a risk throughout the year. Around 90% of children are infected with RSV during their first two years of life, according to the agency.

For parents, the data is a sign that fewer very young babies in the surveillance network needed the highest levels of hospital care. It is not a guarantee that a newborn will avoid RSV, and parents should still seek medical help if a baby is struggling to breathe or feed.

More than six in 10 mothers giving birth had been vaccinated

From March 2025 to February 2026, 61.7% of women giving birth had received an RSV vaccine. That means many thousands of babies may still have begun life without this maternal protection.

The vaccination works by boosting the mother’s antibodies against RSV. Those antibodies pass through the placenta and can help protect the baby from birth. UKHSA recommends vaccination at week 28 of pregnancy or soon afterwards, though it can be given up until labour begins.

A UKHSA study presented earlier in 2026 found that a maternal dose provided more than 80% protection against hospital admission for newborn infants. The agency says protection can still be useful when the vaccine is given as little as 10 days before birth, but earlier vaccination gives more time for antibodies to transfer.

Pregnant women who are past 28 weeks and have not yet had the vaccine are advised by UKHSA to contact their maternity service or GP practice to arrange it.

Source: UK Health Security Agency News

Context & actions About this article

Source check How this report was checked

This article reports the figures published by the UK Health Security Agency and distinguishes the observed admissions fall from proof of direct causation.

Checks

Compared intensive-care and higher-dependency admissions reported by the same 20 NHS trust...
Checked the published maternal vaccine uptake figure for women giving birth between March...
Checked UKHSA's stated RSV season timing and guidance on vaccination from 28 weeks of preg...

UK Health Security Agency Check the wider RSV evidence