Research and analysis

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) maternal vaccination coverage in England: May 2025

Updated 25 September 2025

Applies to England

This report presents respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine coverage of pregnant women in England for the ninth month of the maternal vaccination programme in May 2025. This is based on data from two general practitioner (GP) information technology (IT) suppliers covering 98.9% of all participating general practices across England.

The main findings were that:

• of the 38,326 women reported as having given birth in the survey month, 20,713 (54.0%) had received an RSV vaccine

• coverage varied by NHS region: the highest coverage was reported in the South West commissioning region (62.3%) and the lowest in the London commissioning region (45.7%) (see Table 1)

• coverage varied by ethnic group: the highest coverage was reported among the ‘Other ethnic group – Chinese’ category (72.3%) and lowest among ‘Black or Black British – Caribbean’ category (27.9%) (Table 2)

Table 1. RSV vaccine coverage (%) in pregnant women, measured in May 2025, by NHS Commissioning region

Commissioning region	RSV coverage (%)
London	45.7
Midlands	48.7
North West	53.2
East of England	55.3
North East and Yorkshire	56.9
South East	61.6
South West	62.3

Table 2. RSV vaccine coverage (%) in pregnant women, measured in May 2025, by ethnicity

Ethnic Group	RSV coverage (%)
Black or Black British – Caribbean	27.9
Asian or Asian British – Pakistani	37.2
Mixed – White and Black Caribbean	28.9
Black or Black British – Any other Black background	43.7
Black or Black British – African	45.9
Any other Ethnic Group	43.3
White – Any other White background	42.3
Mixed – Any other Mixed Background	50.8
Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi	44.0
Mixed – White and Black African	49.2
Ethnicity not stated	45.4
Mixed – White and Asian	54.6
Patients with any other Ethnicity Code	56.6
Asian or Asian British – Any other Asian background	56.3
White – Irish	54.5
Asian or Asian British – Indian	59.8
White – British	60.2
Other Ethnic Group – Chinese	72.3

Background

The RSV vaccine has been offered to pregnant women in England since September 2024 to address the significant burden of RSV-related illness, hospitalisations and deaths, particularly among infants under 6 months of age and older adults, who are at increased risk of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) (1, 2). In 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) issued a full statement recommending the implementation of a maternal RSV vaccination programme. This recommendation was based on robust evidence demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of RSV vaccines in protecting infants during their most vulnerable period (1).

The vaccine is recommended as a year-round programme to be administered from 28 weeks of gestation onwards. This timing aligns with the optimal window for passive antibody transfer to the foetus, ensuring effective protection against severe RSV-related illness (2, 3). From 1 September 2024 (the programme start date), all women who are at least 28 weeks pregnant are advised to receive the vaccine as soon as possible, with vaccination continuing to be recommended for all eligible women throughout pregnancy up until delivery (3). Additionally, the vaccine will be reoffered for every subsequent pregnancy to maintain consistent coverage and protection.

The programme is delivered through GP and maternity services, ensuring accessible vaccination opportunities for eligible pregnant women across England.

Methods

The maternal RSV vaccination report is being published monthly, presenting vaccination uptake data only for the specific reporting month, without cumulative figures from previous months. The reporting period for the current report is from 1 May to 31 May 2025. This report focuses on pregnant women who delivered in the survey month, regardless of gestational age at birth.

GP level RSV vaccine coverage data is automatically uploaded via participating GP IT suppliers to the ImmForm website each month. ImmForm data is validated and analysed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to check data completeness, query any anomalous data and describe epidemiological trends.

Since September 2024, the reporting data collected includes:

• denominator: number of women who delivered in the survey month, excluding miscarriages and stillbirths, regardless of gestational age
• numerator: number of women receiving RSV vaccination from week 28 of pregnancy up until delivery
• refusals: number of women in the denominator who refused RSV vaccination between week 28 of pregnancy and delivery

To ensure accurate denominators are extracted from GP IT systems by the automated survey and precise coverage estimates are calculated, the methodology uses a monthly data extraction process with a three-month reporting lag to allow enough time for the relevant information to be recorded. For example, data from September 2024 was extracted on 1 December 2024.  

Participation and data quality

The data presented in this report for May 2025 is based on data received from all GP IT suppliers, accounting for 98.9% of all national GP practices participating during the reporting month.

Discussion

This monthly report presents RSV vaccine coverage data for women who delivered in the ninth month of the RSV vaccination programme in May 2025.

This month’s report includes data from both GP IT suppliers, significantly expanding the data available in previous reports. It includes data from 98.9% of GPs in England, up from 40.4% of participating GPs previously, in the first four months (September to December 2024) of the vaccination programme. This has been made possible by improvements in data quality and permits a more representative analysis of coverage and trends across England.

Overall, the monthly RSV maternal vaccine coverage for May 2025 was 54.0%. In addition, this report reveals notable differences in coverage, with uptake across regions differing by 16.6 percentage points and a gap of nearly 44.4 percentage points observed in the uptake between ethnic groups.

Since the RSV maternal vaccination programme has now been running for 9 months (up to the reporting month), an increasing number of pregnant women are receiving the vaccine during their eligible window. This growing awareness and notification from gestation week 20 onwards have contributed to a gradual increase in monthly vaccine uptake from 40.5% in September 2024 (4) to the current figure reported for May 2025. As the programme continues and more women are informed earlier in their pregnancies, monthly vaccination coverage is expected to gradually increase.

User engagement survey

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References

1. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme for infants and older adults: JCVI full statement, 11 September 2023

2. Green Book on Immunisation: chapter 27a RSV

3. RSV vaccination of pregnant women for infant protection: information for healthcare practitioners

4. RSV maternal vaccination coverage in England: September 2024