Babies can be seriously ill after catching RSV, and can be dealing with the effects for a long time after. Pregnant women are immunised from RSV from 28 weeks to help protect babies. We think all babies born before 28 weeks should be offered nirsevimab.

Currently there exists a national programme to protect infants from RSV by immunising pregnant women at 28 weeks, based on JVCI advice that a programme to protect infants was needed. Extremely premature babies (those born before 28 weeks) therefore do not receive protection this way. While strict criteria allows certain high risk young children to receive additional protection via a injection, many premature babies do not receive this, meaning some very vulnerable children currently go unprotected.