Nation.Cymru staff
The Welsh Government has urged eligible people to get vaccinated against RSV this winter, warning that flu jabs do not protect against the potentially serious virus.
The appeal comes as a mother from Pembrokeshire described how her baby spent three weeks in a hospital high dependency unit after contracting the infection.
Flu vaccinations are already underway across Wales, but ministers are reminding people that flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines protect against different viruses.
RSV circulates every winter and usually causes mild symptoms. However, it can cause serious illness, including bronchiolitis and pneumonia, in babies, older people and those with weakened immune systems.
According to the Welsh Government, the virus accounts for up to 1,000 hospital admissions and 9,000 GP appointments among people over 75 in Wales each year.
The RSV vaccine is offered throughout the year to adults aged 75 and over and to pregnant women to help protect newborn babies.
Older people need the vaccine once, while pregnant women should receive it during each pregnancy.
In September, eligibility was extended to higher-risk adults aged 65 to 74, including those who are immunosuppressed or have chronic respiratory disease.
Joanne, a health visitor from Pembrokeshire, said her daughter was admitted to hospital on Christmas Eve after testing positive for RSV.
Her right lung had filled with mucus and she needed a CPAP machine to help her breathe.
Joanne said: “Watching your baby struggle to breathe is terrifying. She came so close to needing to be intubated and spent three weeks on the high dependency unit.”
She said the experience continued to affect the family after her daughter returned home.
“Even after we brought her home, I was so afraid of her getting sick again that it changed how we lived our lives, how often we saw family and friends.
“For the whole of her first year, every cold meant another trip to the GP, needing inhalers, or going back into hospital just so she could breathe properly.”
She added: “I want other parents to understand that RSV isn’t just a bad cold. If you’re offered the vaccine, whether that’s during pregnancy or for someone you love who’s older, please take it up. It could save your family from going through what we did.”
‘Hospital stay’
Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health Nerys Evans said Joanne’s experience showed how serious RSV could be for babies as well as older people.
She said: “I urge all who are eligible to come forward for their flu jab, their COVID-19 booster and their RSV vaccine.
“They protect against different viruses, and it really can make the difference between a mild illness and a serious hospital stay.”
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