Did you know there's a vaccine that helps protect against RSV?
RSV is a common and highly infectious respiratory virus that affects the breathing system. While most RSV infections are usually mild, it can cause severe illness for older adults and in babies under one year of age.
For those at greatest risk, RSV can cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis, leading to complications and hospitalisation. Studies show that the RSV vaccine reduces the risk of being admitted to hospital with RSV by about 81% for people aged 75 to 79.
This year, the RSV older adult's vaccination programme has been further extended to include those who have chronic respiratory disease or immunosuppression due to an underlying condition or treatment.
The RSV vaccine is now being offered to:
- all residents in care homes for older adults
- adults aged 75 years and over
- adults turning 75 years old between 1 August 2026 and 31 July 2027
Adults with chronic lung disease (excluding well-controlled asthma) or weakened immune system due to disease or treatment who are:
- aged 65 to 74 years
- turning 65 years old between 1 August 2026 and 31 July 2027
The RSV vaccine is also offered during pregnancy, regardless of age.
To help raise awareness, Public Health Scotland has developed a social media toolkit with assets and suggested captions.
We would appreciate your support by regularly feeding these social media assets into your planned activity using the hashtag #RSVvaccineScot. Using the hashtag is important as it allows us to monitor usage, which informs future campaigns.
Each health board runs their vaccine programme differently so they can deliver vaccines in the way that best suits local communities. We encourage you to use these resources at a time that suits your vaccine delivery schedule.
Please feel free to share these resources with any relevant channels or networks.
For more information visit www.nhsinform.scot/rsv-adult or www.nhsinform.scot/rsv-baby