INVITATIONS are being sent out to older people across Berkshire encouraging them to stay up to date with their RSV Vaccines.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, known as RSV, spreads all year round and affects the airways and lungs.
For older adults it can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia or other life-threating conditions.
Starting this week, invites are being issued to people aged 75-79 or those who turned 80 after September 1, 2024, urging them to book an appointment with their GP for the vaccination.
To date, eligible people have received the vaccine at their GP practice across BOB since it was first rolled out by the NHS in September 2024.
This includes pregnant women who are also eligible for the vaccine from 28 weeks onwards.
Rachael Corser, Chief Nursing Officer at the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Intergrated Care Board (BOB ICB) said: “RSV is not just a winter illness.z
“It can occur throughout the year and make older people seriously ill leading to severe lung infections – so it’s vital that eligible people have the vaccine to protect against the virus.
“I encourage everyone whom the NHS contacts, or anyone who has previously been invited but hasn’t yet taken up the offer, to get the RSV vaccine as soon as possible by contacting their GP practice to book an appointment.
“Receiving the vaccine during every pregnancy is the best way to protect your baby against RSV. All women who are at least 28 weeks pregnant on 1 September are being offered the vaccine and should speak to their maternity service or GP practice.”
More information is available on the NHS website via: nhs.uk/conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv/
