No 17 - 2026

RSV vaccination programme for pregnant women resumes on 1 May 2026

• Free RSV vaccination is offered to pregnant women with the vaccine Abrysvo® from 1 May 2026 up to and including January 2027.
• Vaccination is recommended in gestational week 32 at the third pregnancy check-up with the general practitioner.
• An interval of at least two weeks is recommended between pertussis and RSV vaccination.

The season for free RSV vaccination for pregnant women starts on 1 May 2026.

The offer covers pregnant women in week 32 with an expected due date from July 2026 up to and including March 2027. The programme therefore runs this season from 1 May 2026 up to and including January 2027. By vaccinating pregnant women with due dates from July to March, children who are either born during or are very young during the RSV season are protected. The RSV season primarily occurs during the autumn and winter months.

Vaccination can be administered from gestational week 24 up to and including week 36 (35+6), but it is recommended as part of the third pregnancy check-up with the general practitioner, i.e. around gestational week 32.

The RSV vaccination programme for pregnant women was introduced in autumn 2025 with the aim of protecting newborn infants against severe RSV disease in the first months of life. Infants are at increased risk of severe disease and hospitalisation because their immune systems are still immature and because the small airways can become obstructed by inflammation and mucus production as a result of the infection.

There was high uptake of the programme in the first season. Data from Statens Serum Institut show that 72 percent of pregnant women in the target group accepted the offer. Preliminary data from the first season also show that the vaccine very effectively prevents RSV disease requiring hospitalisation among the youngest infants, which is also consistent with experience from other countries where the vaccine is offered to pregnant women.

More detailed material on vaccination offers for pregnant women, including information sheets with answers to frequently asked questions, is available on the Danish Health Authority’s materials page. This includes print-ready public information material in several languages, including Arabic, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian and Urdu.

More information about the vaccination programme for pregnant women is also available on the Danish Health Authority’s website here: Vaccination during pregnancy | Danish Health Authority

Other vaccines in the pregnancy vaccination programme:

In addition to RSV vaccination, pregnant women are offered:

• Pertussis vaccination at the GP visit in week 25.
• Influenza vaccination in the 2nd or 3rd trimester in the period from 1 October to 20 December. Vaccination takes place at regional vaccination sites, with appointments booked via vacciner.dk.

Adverse reactions and monitoring

The most common adverse reactions after vaccination are pain at the injection site, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain and headache.

There is enhanced reporting obligation for Abrysvo®. Doctors and midwives must therefore report all suspected adverse reactions. Serious adverse reactions must be reported no later than 15 days after suspicion via www.meldenbivirkning.dk.

For the Danish Medicines Agency’s follow-up on pregnancy outcomes and the child’s further development, it is important that reports of suspected adverse reactions state the gestational week in which the vaccine was given, as well as the vaccine batch number.

Ordering RSV vaccine for the programme

The vaccine to be used in the programme is called Abrysvo®. The vaccine must be ordered through SSI Webshop.

It is recommended that practices, to the greatest extent possible, use any Abrysvo® vaccines remaining from the previous season before ordering new vaccines.

Please note: In the webshop, two Abrysvo® vaccines will be available: one for the programme and one for self-payment. When ordering vaccines for the programme, it is important to select Abrysvo® 10x1 ds PROGRAM, as this is supplied free of charge.

In case of an incorrect order, SSI is unfortunately unable to credit or accept return of the vaccine.

Service codes related to the offer

Two service codes have been created for use in RSV vaccination of pregnant women.

If the vaccination is given in connection with the third pregnancy check-up, service code 8804 must be used.

If the vaccination is not given in connection with an pregnancy check-up, the supplementary service code 8901 must be used instead.

(Danish Health Authority)

European Immunization Week 2026

Denmark maintains high vaccination coverage – but not all targets have yet been met

This week marks European Immunization Week (EIW) with the theme “For every generation, vaccines work”. With this theme, WHO and its member states aim to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination throughout life. In connection with EIW, the annual report on vaccination coverage in the Danish childhood immunisation programme in Denmark is presented (in Danish language).

Overall vaccination coverage in the childhood immunisation programme remains high and stable in 2025. This means that the vast majority of children in Denmark are protected against serious infectious diseases, and that there continues to be good control of diseases that were previously associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

Positive development in coverage for several vaccinations

Several indicators point to a positive development. Among other things, coverage of the MMR vaccination at age 4 has increased, and uptake of the HPV vaccination continues to rise for both girls and boys.

At the same time, vaccination during pregnancy has become an integrated part of the programme, including the introduction of RSV vaccination in 2025.

Not all WHO targets have yet been met

Despite the high coverage, several WHO targets have not yet been achieved. These targets help ensure control of diseases, and even small declines in coverage may increase the risk of outbreaks of highly contagious diseases such as measles. Developments in Europe in 2024–2025 underline this. Measles continues to circulate, and several countries have lost their elimination status, EPI-NEWS 6/2026. In addition, cases of diphtheria have been reported in Germany, including severe cases, underscoring the need to maintain high vaccination coverage.

Need for continued attention

The 2025 coverage data reflect high confidence in the Danish vaccination programme, but also a need for continued attention to timely vaccination and maintaining high coverage across all age groups.

(J. Grau, P.H. Andersen, C. Seeger-Skaaning, B. Søborg, Section for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Preparedness, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention)