Is RSV Vaccination safe in pregnancy?

The National Immunisation Programme in Australia has recently rolled out (3 February 2025) the RSV vaccination for pregnant patients (Abrysvo).

Here are some of the common questions that my patients ask me about RSV vaccination in pregnancy, including is RSV vaccination safe in pregnancy?

What is RSV?

Respiratory syncytial (sin-city-al) virus (RSV) is the most common cause of respiratory and breathing infections in children. It is a virus that causes infection of the lungs and breathing passages and is one of the most frequent causes of the common cold.

Newborns are particularly vulnerable to RSV and are at greatest risk of severe RSV disease resulting in hospital admissions.

Immunisation of mothers with the RSV vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of severe RSV disease in babies under 6 months of age and hospital admissions by up to 70%.

How does RSV vaccination work?

Following injection with the RSV vaccine, your body will produce antibodies to RSV. These antibodies will cross the placenta and pass to your baby to help protect your baby against RSV from birth until 6 months of age.

When is the best time in pregnancy to get the RSV vaccine?

The best time to get the RSV vaccine (Abrysvo) during pregnancy is between 28-36 weeks. 

Is the RSV vaccination safe? What are the risk of the RSV vaccine? Will it harm me or my baby?

The current evidence that we have around the RSV vaccination is that it safe for both the mother and the baby. 

All medications and vaccinations have some degree of risk and you should discuss this with your healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns regarding this.

Some of the common side effects of the vaccination include pain, redness or swelling around the injection site. Muscle pains and headaches can also occur, but these usually go away in a few days. Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis are less common. You should not have the vaccination if you have previously had an allergic reaction to the vaccine or one of its inactive ingredients example sucrose, mannitol or trometamol. 

The consumer medication information sheet can be found here.

An analysis of six randomised controlled trials studying 17991 pregnant women, concluded that the RSV vaccination posed no increased risk of birth defects, stillbirths or growth restriction. 

Reference: Phijffer EW, de Bruin O, Ahmadizar F, Bont LJ, Van der Maas NA, Sturkenboom MC, Wildenbeest JG, Bloemenkamp KW. Respiratory syncytial virus vaccination during pregnancy for improving infant outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 May 2;5(5):CD015134.