Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

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RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs. RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including:

  • cough
  • sore throat
  • sneezing
  • a runny or blocked nose

It can also make you become wheezy or short of breath and lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions. There is no specific treatment, and most infections will get better by themselves. Every year thousands of older adults need hospital care for RSV, and some of them will die. RSV can be more severe in people with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or a weakened immune system.

RSV vaccination from September 2024

A vaccine to help protect against RSV will be available on the NHS from 1 September 2024.

You’ll be able to get the vaccine if:

  • you’re aged 75 to 79
  • you’re 28 weeks pregnant or more – this will help protect your baby for the first few months after they’re born

To book to have you RSV vaccine, please contact the surgery on 0208 472 0669 Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

For more information, please visit

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv