Maternal RSV Vaccination in Pregnancy Reduces Infant Hospitalizations

WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Maternal respiratory syncytial virus prefusion F (RSVpreF) vaccination is effective for preventing RSV-associated hospitalization in infants during the first 90 days of life, according to a study published online June 5 in JAMA Network Open.

Anne-Marie Rick, M.D., Ph.D., from University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, and colleagues estimated the effectiveness of maternal RSVpreF vaccination against hospitalization for RSV-associated acute respiratory illness (ARI) and lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) among infants ≤90 days during the first two postlicensure RSV seasons. The analysis included 274 infants (83 with RSV and 191 controls).

The researchers found that 11 of the 83 infants with RSV (13.3 percent) and 71 of 191 controls (37.2 percent) were born to RSVpreF-vaccinated individuals, yielding an estimated vaccine effectiveness of 67.6 percent against RSV-associated ARI hospitalization and 69.0 percent against RSV-associated LRTD hospitalization from 0 through 90 days of age. Within the first 30 days after birth, vaccine effectiveness against RSV-associated ARI hospitalization was higher, reaching 74.2 percent.

“These findings suggest maternal RSVpreF vaccination provides clinical protection against RSV-associated hospitalization in early infancy; however, continued data collection is critical to refine vaccine effectiveness estimates,” the authors write.

Several authors report ties to the biopharmaceutical industry, including Pfizer, which manufactures the RSVpreF vaccine and funded the study.

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