My newborn nearly died from RSV - it’s completely traumatised us: Mum urges pregnant women to take up vaccine

A mum is urging pregnant women to take up the RSV vaccine - after her newborn nearly died when he caught the virus. Ethyan Gammage was rushed to hospital after becoming "grey, cold and lifeless" and mum Fiona Walker, 41, feared he was dead.

Ethyan was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, caused by the human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The premature baby was put into an induced coma on a ventilator in the NICU, and fought for his life. He was eventually discharged from hospital after two weeks.

RSV is common in adults and presents as a mild flu, but it can be deadly in newborns and the elderly.

When will the RSV vaccine be available in the UK?

The vaccine was rolled out from September 1 across the UK to those aged 75+ and pregnant women of any age who are over 28 weeks, to help protect their newborn babies.

Ethyan lives in Scotland which began vaccinating pregnant women against the virus in August this year. But because he was born six weeks prematurely, in June - he missed that deadline.

Pub landlady Fiona, from Larkhall in Lanarkshire, said after the scare Ethyan has been "absolutely perfect" but she and Mark have been left with symptoms of PTSD.

She said: "I had never even heard of RSV before Ethyan got it. Now I don't let him out of my sight and I constantly put my hand on him to check he's warm because I remember how cold he felt. It's completely traumatised us.

"I want to raise awareness of RSV and of the vaccine because I'd never want any other mother to go through what I went through. I have a phobia of needles but I'd still get the vaccine - and everyone else should too."