Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) maternal vaccination coverage in England: February 2026 report
Updated 2 July 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-maternal-vaccination-coverage-in-england/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-maternal-vaccination-coverage-in-england-february-2026-report
Published 2 July 2026
This report presents monthly vaccine uptake data for the maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme in England, focusing on the period up to February 2026. This report includes vaccine uptake estimates for pregnant women who delivered in the 18th month of the maternal vaccination programme in February 2026.
Main points
The main messages of this report are:
- 62.5% (23,691 out of 37,884) of women that reported giving birth during the survey month received an RSV vaccine
- uptake varied by NHS commissioning region, with the highest uptake reported in the South West region (72.4%) and the lowest in the London region (52.1%)
- uptake varied across integrated care boards (ICBs) with the highest uptake reported in the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB (79.9%) and the lowest in Birmingham and Solihull (40.1%)
- uptake varied across local authorities with the highest uptake reported in the Isle of Wight (87.3%) and the lowest in Enfield (33.5%)
- uptake varied by ethnic group, with the highest uptake reported among the Asian or Asian British - Chinese ethnic group (76.8%) and the lowest among the Black - Caribbean ethnic group (40.1%)
Help us improve this resource
This vaccine uptake report has been designated as an Official Statistics release. As part of this process, we are seeking feedback from users to ensure the publication meets your needs.
We would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete a short survey and share your views.
Your input will play an important role in shaping the development of this publication. Thank you for your time and support.
Analysis of maternal RSV vaccine uptake
Maternal uptake of the RSV vaccine is assessed monthly to monitor the reach and impact of the national immunisation programme. Given the programme’s design, uptake is defined as the proportion of pregnant women who delivered in the reporting month and had received the RSV vaccine during pregnancy. This metric serves as a proxy for vaccine coverage by infant birth month, reflecting the extent of passive immunity conferred to newborns.
This monthly report presents RSV vaccine uptake for women who delivered in the eighteenth month of the RSV vaccination programme in February 2026.
The monthly uptake trend among pregnant women who have delivered since the programme’s launch is presented in Figure 1. Overall, the monthly RSV maternal vaccine uptake for February 2026 was 62.5%. RSV uptake increased in the first few months of the programme and has remained steady since October 2025.
Figure 1. RSV vaccine uptake (%) trend among pregnant women by month of delivery, measured in February 2026
Note 1: the vertical lines represent a change in the percentage of GP (general practitioner) practices used to calculate RSV vaccine uptake. Up to December 2024, vaccine uptake was estimated based on data from a single supplier covering fewer than 40.5% of GP practices. From January 2025 onwards, vaccine uptake was based on data from more than 97.5% of GP practices and is more representative of national vaccination uptake.
This month’s report includes data from both major GP IT suppliers, significantly expanding the data available in earliest reports (September to December 2024). It includes data from 99% of GPs in England, up from 40.4% of participating GPs previously in the first 4 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 uptake and trends across England.
To further explore variation in uptake, Table 1 presents uptake by commissioning region, while Table 2 provides the breakdown by ethnicity.
As shown in Table 1, there are notable regional differences in uptake, with variation of up to 20.3 percentage points between NHS commissioning regions.
Table 1. RSV vaccine uptake (%) in pregnant women, measured in February 2026, by NHS commissioning region
| Commissioning region | RSV uptake (%) |
|---|---|
| North East and Yorkshire | 64.0 |
| North West | 61.4 |
| Midlands | 59.2 |
| East of England | 65.4 |
| London | 52.1 |
| South East | 70.0 |
| South West | 72.4 |
Variation in uptake by ethnicity was also observed, with a gap of 36.7 percentage points observed in the uptake between ethnic groups (Table 2).
Table 2. RSV vaccine uptake (%) in pregnant women, measured in February 2026, by ethnicity
| Ethnic group [note 2] | RSV uptake (%) |
|---|---|
| Asian or Asian British - any other Asian background | 62.7 |
| Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi | 51.4 |
| Asian or Asian British - Chinese | 76.8 |
| Asian or Asian British - Indian | 70.2 |
| Asian or Asian British - Pakistani | 46.3 |
| Black or Black British - African | 47.1 |
| Black or Black British - any other Black background | 48.3 |
| Black or Black British - Caribbean | 40.1 |
| Mixed - any other mixed background | 54.3 |
| Mixed - White and Asian | 60.7 |
| Mixed - White and Black African | 54.2 |
| Mixed - White and Black Caribbean | 47.5 |
| White - British | 70.1 |
| White - Irish | 66.2 |
| White - any other White background | 48.2 |
| Any other ethnicity code | 62.1 |
| Ethnicity - unknown | 57.4 |
| Other ethnic group - any other ethnic group | 50.2 |
Note 2: the ‘Ethnicity - unknown’ group combines all records where ethnicity was not provided. This includes people whose ethnicity was not recorded, not stated, or who refused to give their ethnicity. The ‘any other ethnicity code’ category includes individuals whose ethnicity has been recorded using non-standard or legacy codes (that is, codes not aligned with the 2001 or 2011 Census classifications).
The map in Figure 2 shows RSV uptake by ICB. Uptake varied across ICBs by 39.8 percentage points with the highest uptake reported in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (79.9) and the lowest uptake reported in Birmingham and Solihull (40.1).
Figure 2. RSV vaccine uptake (%) among pregnant women delivering in February 2026, by ICBs
Across the local authorities, uptake differed by 53.8 percentage points with the highest uptake reported in Isle of Wight (87.3%) and the lowest uptake reported in Enfield (33.5%). The variation across local authorities is presented in the map shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. RSV vaccine uptake (%) among pregnant women delivering in February 2026, by local authority
Further detail, including uptake figures broken down by local authority and ICB, can be found in the February 2026 data tables.
Since the RSV maternal vaccination programme has now been running for eighteen 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 to the current figure reported for February 2026. As the programme continues and more women are informed earlier in their pregnancies, monthly vaccination uptake is expected to gradually increase.
Data sources and methodology
More information is available in our quality and methodology information (QMI) report.
The maternal RSV vaccination report will be released 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 February 2026 to 28 February 2026. This report focuses on pregnant women who delivered in the survey month, regardless of gestational age at birth.
GP-level RSV vaccine uptake 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 uptake estimates are calculated, the methodology uses a monthly data extraction process with a three-month reporting lag to allow enough time for relevant information to be recorded. For example, data from September 2024 was extracted on 1 December, 2024.
The data presented in this report for February 2026 is based on data received from both major GP IT suppliers, accounting for 99% of all national GP practices participating during the reporting month.
The March 2026 maternal RSV vaccination uptake report is scheduled to be released on 6 August 2026.
Background information
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 six months of age and older adults, who are at increased risk of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) (see the Green Book on immunisation). 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.
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. 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. Additionally, the vaccine will be reoffered for every subsequent pregnancy to maintain consistent coverage and protection.
This monthly report includes vaccine uptake data for women who delivered in February 2026.
Programme delivery
The programme is delivered through GP and maternity services, ensuring accessible vaccination opportunities for eligible pregnant women across England. In addition, the RSV vaccine is available through the community pharmacy delivery model at approximately 37 sites across 2 ICBs in the East of England. It is also available at up to 200 additional community pharmacy sites across the Midlands, North West, and London commissioning regions during the 2025 to 2026 expansion phase.
Previous monthly reports are available at RSV maternal vaccination coverage in England.
Related statistics
- RSV maternal vaccination coverage in England
- Surveillance of respiratory syncytial virus: winter 2024 to 2025
- NHS England vaccination statistics
- PHW Wales RSV vaccination report
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Pregnancy Vaccination in Scotland
Further information and contact details
Feedback and contact information
For feedback or any enquiries relating to this document and the RSV vaccination uptake, contact rsv@ukhsa.gov.uk
Official statistics
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
You are welcome to contact us directly by emailing rsv@ukhsa.gov.uk with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
UKHSA is committed to ensuring that these statistics comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics. This means users can have confidence in the people who produce UKHSA statistics because our statistics are robust, reliable and accurate. Our statistics are regularly reviewed to ensure they support the needs of society for information.