Adapted from BMJ 9 August 2025
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of acute lower respiratory tract illness in infants. Two years ago, and international trial demonstrated that vaccinating pregnant women against RSV reduced the number of newborns admitted to hospital with lung infections.
A UK study has now confirmed the benefits. There was a 72 percent reduction in babies hospitalised due to the virus compared to babies whose mothers had not had the vaccine.
In another study of adults from New York, getting RSV badly enough to require admission, led to an increase in acute cardiac events. More than a third of the patients ended up having heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and myocardial infarction after RSV infection. Most events happened within the month following admission. Half of the events occurred in patients with no prior history of cardiac problems.
Diabetes Diet 