Mum urges pregnant women to take up respiratory virus vaccine

RSV infects about 90% of children within the first two years of life.

The virus is a leading cause of infant mortality globally, and accounts for approximately 20,000 hospital admissions in children under one.

It typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms which can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and infant bronchiolitis.

The JCVI is predicting take-up of the vaccine to be about 60%, which it hopes could result in 70,000 fewer RSV illnesses in infants.

Ms Cook has urged more mothers to get on board.

“As there is no medication you can give for RSV, I felt helpless and it really was a waiting game of whether she would recover,” she said.

“Nine months on, Henrietta is now a happy and healthy baby, but those first few weeks of her life were incredibly tough, and not how I pictured the newborn bubble to be.

“I would encourage all pregnant women to take up the RSV vaccine.”