Uptake improves, but vaccine-choice complexity emerges in UK’s second maternal RSV vaccination season

The UK’s universal maternal RSV vaccination programme, introduced in late summer 2024 offers the bivalent RSV prefusion F protein (RSVpreF) vaccine free of charge, year‑round, from 28 weeks’ gestation onwards. Researchers, led by the University of Edinburgh’s Thomas Williams and Steve Cunningham have recently completed studies on the second season of RSV immunisation.

In its second season, in addition to studying the efficacy of the vaccine, researchers revisited mothers’ views to understand what is driving uptake and where barriers remain.

Between Aug 27 and Dec 15, 2025, the BronchStop study surveyed 434 women across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Among mothers of RSV‑negative control infants who recalled their vaccination status, 125 of 196 reported receiving RSVpreF—an estimated 64% coverage. That figure broadly matches recent national estimates for England and Scotland and marks a rise from a 41% coverage estimate among season‑one recruits.

The study cohort was broadly representative, including all socioeconomic quintiles, with 21% identifying with minority ethnic groups.

Survey respondents were given 3 statements and asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with these statements.

The statements were:

1. I am confident that the RSV vaccine is necessary
2. I am confident that the RSV vaccine is safe
3. The RSV vaccine was easy for me to get

Results from the survey showed that confidence in vaccine safety increased modestly from first season with the share of mothers agreeing or strongly agreeing rising from 56% in 2024 to 61% in 2025, while outright disagreement remained low (7% to 8%).

The perceived necessity of getting the vaccine softened, with agreement falling from 75% to 65% and disagreement edging up from 7% to 10%.

Perceptions of access improved sharply, with agreement that the vaccine was easy to obtain rising from 46% to 71% and disagreement dropping from 30% to 17%.

Despite overall gains, barriers persisted among those who did not get vaccinated.

The proportion of unvaccinated mothers reporting difficulties accessing RSVpreF fell only slightly—from 35% in season one to 27% in season two—indicating ongoing systemic issues. Across all respondents, 17% still reported problems getting the jab.

The survey offered free-text boxes for respondents to share their thoughts on the vaccine.

The free-text responses from unvaccinated participants clustered around safety worries amplified by social media, limited explanations of RSV and its risks, and practical hurdles such as long waits. “I heard horror stories online... and got caught up with negative TikTok videos,” wrote one mother. Another said, “I was offered the RSV vaccine but no one explained what it was or the impact of RSV on my baby.” A third noted, “The wait and queue for the vaccine was too long. I could not wait as I had a toddler at home.”

The number of people surveyed who considered the vaccine unsafe and exhibited genuine vaccine hesitancy remained low, but a larger group remains on the fence—31% neutral on safety and 25% neutral on necessity.

Whilst there is a perception that vaccine hesitancy is behind falling vaccination rates, the results from this paper paint a more nuanced picture, where most individuals aren’t against vaccination in principle, but want to be persuaded of the benefits.

Researchers suggest that targeted communication on RSV disease burden and vaccine safety could lift uptake and prevent a growth in negative sentiment. 

Maternal vaccination is one of two proven strategies to prevent severe RSV in infants; the other is infant immunisation with the long‑acting monoclonal antibody nirsevimab. Programmes in Spain have achieved around 90% infant coverage, alongside an 89% reduction in RSV‑related admissions in Galicia in 2023–24. The UK challenge is whether maternal vaccination can reach sufficiently high coverage to deliver comparable population‑level impact.

Researchers plan an in‑depth qualitative study to map the systemic access barriers flagged by respondents and to inform public health efforts focused on clearer counselling, countering online misinformation, and more convenient delivery of RSVpreF during pregnancy.

Thomas Williams

Child Life and Health

Previous article on season one