Understanding RSV, a major cause of respiratory illness in infants. 

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is one of the most common reasons for young infants to be admitted to hospital, and globally is second only to malaria as a cause of death in infants between 1 and 12 months of age. In the UK it mostly occurs from October to February, causing a wave of infections that stretch the capacity of children’s wards to their limits.
At the Oxford Vaccine Group we are undertaking a number of projects that try to better understand the burden of RSV disease, and looking at several approaches to vaccine prevention.
This report by BBC South today looks at the impact that an RSV infection could have on an otherwise healthy infant, and a study being conducted by the Oxford Vaccine Group and OSPREA that looks to reduce infant RSV infections by maternal immunisation.