Obstetrics & Gynecology · Pediatrics · Infectious Disease ·
RSV vaccine uptake among pregnant women varies widely across Norway
A Norwegian register study found that maternal RSV vaccination coverage rose from 0.3% among women who gave birth in January 2024 to 51% in September 2026. Coverage also varied by maternal birthplace and geography, including between Oslo districts.
- Coverage reached 51% in September 2026.
- Oslo district coverage ranged from 14% to 71%.
- The study cannot explain the observed differences.
- Most vaccinations occurred at 33–35 weeks of pregnancy.
Researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health linked data from the Medical Birth Registry, the national immunisation registry SYSVAK and the Population Register to examine RSV vaccination among women who gave birth from January 2024 through September 2026. They compared coverage by birth month, maternal birthplace and place of residence.
Coverage rose from 0.3% for women giving birth in January 2024 to 51% in September 2026, with a clear increase from August 2025. Among women born in Norway who gave birth in September 2026, coverage was 61%. For births between January and September 2026, coverage ranged from 28% to 50% across counties. Oslo had the highest county-level coverage, but rates across its districts ranged from 14% to 71%.
The study found lower coverage in Oslo districts with lower median income and education levels and a larger share of residents born abroad. It cannot establish why these differences occurred or quantify the contributions of socioeconomic factors, access to information, or the need to obtain a prescription and pay for the vaccine. Most vaccinations were given in pregnancy weeks 33–35; FHI says newer studies suggest weeks 28–32 may allow more time for antibody transfer. The observational findings do not establish vaccine effectiveness or explain uptake differences. The vaccine was not publicly funded in Norway during the study period.
In practice
For clinicians involved in antenatal care in Norway, the findings identify substantial differences in maternal RSV vaccine uptake by birthplace and area of residence, which may help focus efforts to understand access and information barriers. The register study cannot determine the causes of these differences or show that any particular intervention would reduce them. FHI reports that most vaccinations occurred at 33–35 weeks and cites newer studies suggesting weeks 28–32 may allow more time for antibody transfer; these uptake data do not themselves establish the best timing or vaccine effectiveness.
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Folkehelseinstituttet: Store forskjeller i vaksinedekning mot RS-virus blant gravide i Norge ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.