Welsh mum's RSV plea after newborn nearly died — SkimNews
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- Jo Goldsmith of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, said her daughter Phoebe contracted RSV at five days old and doctors told her to "prepare for the worst" on Christmas Eve, with Phoebe admitted to the hospital's high dependency unit
- Phoebe survived RSV-positive bronchiolitis but faced longer-term effects including repeated chest-related hospital admissions and hearing loss, according to Goldsmith
- Wales introduced RSV vaccinations in September 2024, after Goldsmith's pregnancy four years ago when the shot was unavailable — she said she "definitely would have had it"
- Nerys Evans, Welsh Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health, called Goldsmith's story a "powerful reminder" and urged eligible adults to come forward for flu, COVID-19 booster, and RSV vaccines ahead of winter
- RSV causes an estimated 7,000–9,500 GP appointments and 2,300–2,600 hospital admissions in under-2s each season in Wales, and 400–600 deaths in over-75s annually
- The vaccine programme is offered routinely to over-75s and pregnant women from 28 weeks, with the offer this autumn extended to higher-risk adults aged 65–74, including those who are immunosuppressed or have chronic respiratory disease
Why it matters: For pregnant women in Wales, the RSV vaccine is now available free year-round — a protection that didn't exist during Goldsmith's pregnancy. With RSV driving thousands of pediatric hospitalisations and hundreds of deaths in over-75s annually in Wales alone, expanding eligibility to high-risk 65-74-year-olds this autumn targets a group whose complications often land them in hospital over winter.
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