Every Baby Born in Portugal From 16 September Qualifies for the RSV Immunisation, and a Catch-Up Round Reaches Those Born Since April

Portugal's Direção-Geral da Saúde (Directorate-General for Health) has set 16 September as the start of this season's paediatric immunisation campaign against respiratory syncytial virus, and for the first time every baby born during the campaign window will be eligible. The rules are set out in Norma n.º 004/2026, dated 2 September, which runs the campaign through to 31 March 2027.

The headline change is the removal of a gap. In the two previous campaigns, babies born in certain months fell outside the eligibility window and were not offered the immunisation at all. André Peralta-Santos, a sub-director-general at the DGS, flagged the fix in early July: there had been "two months in which they were not eligible", he said, and that rule now disappears, so every baby born during the season is covered.

The dates that matter

• 16 September 2026 to 31 March 2027: the main campaign. Every baby born in this window is eligible.
• 16 September to 30 October 2026: a catch-up round for children born between 1 April and 15 September 2026.
• Also in the catch-up: babies born prematurely between 1 January and 31 March 2026 who were not immunised earlier, plus children carrying other risk factors for severe infection.

The immunisation is voluntary and free. It is given in the maternity units of public, private and social-sector hospitals, and through primary care, which means a health centre appointment rather than a hospital visit for babies who miss the maternity dose.

Why the state is pushing this one

RSV is one of the most common causes of infection in early childhood and drives a seasonal epidemic that in Portugal usually runs from October to March. Babies in their first months, premature infants and children with chronic conditions carry the highest risk of severe disease. The DGS states the campaign's purpose in two parts: cutting the risk of serious illness and hospitalisation, and easing the pressure that RSV season puts on the health service.

Uptake has not been the problem. The last campaign passed 90 percent coverage, up from 86 percent the season before, which is a strong figure for a programme that is only in its third year. It is worth noting where the DGS files this one: under immunoglobulins and biological products, not under the Programa Nacional de Vacinação (National Vaccination Programme). It sits alongside the childhood vaccine schedule rather than inside it, which is why it carries its own annual norm and its own dates.

What this means for expats

• If your baby is due this autumn or winter: the offer will come at the maternity unit. It is free regardless of whether you deliver in a public, private or social-sector hospital.
• If your baby was born since April: you have a narrow window. The catch-up closes on 30 October, and it is arranged through primary care, so book with your family health unit rather than waiting to be called.
• If you arrived mid-year: children immunised in another country's programme should have that recorded before the appointment. Bring the vaccination record you were given abroad.
• Private cover does not change the price: this is a state campaign delivered across all three sectors, so there is nothing to claim back and no reason to seek it privately.

Parents who want the wider picture on what the state pays for and when should read our guide to getting vaccinated in Portugal, and our guide to having a baby in Portugal. Coverage of the routine childhood schedule holds above 95 percent nationally, though it is uneven by council, and the RSV campaign will be watched for the same regional spread once the season closes in March.