Last year there were over 1,000 cases of RSV in Scotland in people aged 75 years and older.
NHS Lanarkshire is now offering the RSV vaccine for the first time to eligible groups and has already started issuing appointment letters.
RSV is a common respiratory illness which affects the lungs and airways. It is more common from late autumn to early spring, but can happen throughout the year.
Getting RSV vaccine is the best way to protect against RSV infections.
The RSV vaccine is new to Scotland and has not been offered before so anyone aged 75 to 79 years on 1 August 2024 (date of birth is between 2 August 1944 and 31 July 1950) will receive an appointment letter.
Pregnant women will also be offered the vaccine regardless of their age.
Veronica Rainey, Associate Medical Director, South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “RSV is a common and highly infectious respiratory virus that affects the breathing system. It generally causes mild illness with cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, cough, fever, or decrease in appetite.
“Most people recover after two to three weeks, but RSV can cause severe illness in some people, including pneumonia (infection of the lungs), bronchiolitis (infection of the small airways of the lungs) and other life-threatening conditions, leading to complications and hospitalisation.
“NHS Lanarkshire is now offering the RSV vaccine to those most vulnerable including all pregnant women. If a vaccinated person does get RSV, it should be less severe and the vaccine is effective against lower respiratory tract infections (such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis).”
You can find out more information on the RSV vaccine on the NHS Inform website.
