South Central Ambulance Service: Jab trial to protect babies from virus

A medical trial is underway to protect babies against a respiratory virus through one antibody jab

Jabs for babies to protect against respiratory viruses are being trialled by an ambulance service.

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) will be the first in the country to provide immunisation for babies against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

RSV often causes mild illness but some cases lead to more severe problems such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

The medical trial is underway and will assess how babies can be protected from RSV through one antibody jab.

SCAS said the virus affects 90% of children before the age of two and is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in all infants worldwide.

In the study named Harmonie, researchers across the UK will give babies antibody immunisation and then assess how strongly they can be protected from serious illnesses due to RSV infection.

A significant impact

It has been shown to reduce lower respiratory tract infections in previous trials, but more research is needed before it can be rolled out across the NHS.

Martina Brown, research and clinical audit manager at SCAS, said the potential positive impact of the study could be significant.

"Our involvement means we are able to offer an opportunity to be involved to those families who are unable to travel to medical centres by visiting them at home," she added.

The trial is a collaboration between Sanofi, its partner AstraZeneca and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and will run until March next year.