After a winter that saw record numbers of people diagnosed with various respiratory illnesses, the government has stepped in to help stop the spread of one.
From 2025 expecting mothers and newborns will be able to receive the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, Abrysvo, for free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP).
RSV is a highly contagious virus that spreads between people through small water droplets while talking, coughing and sneezing. While it is unpleasant for adults, it can be serious for newborn babies, infecting their nose, throat, and lungs.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said 12,000 babies are admitted to hospital each winter with a severe case of the virus, with as many as a quarter of them spending time in an intensive care unit, making it one of the leading causes of children being hospitalised.
“This is a world-leading approach to reduce the impact of RSV on babies. This investment will help keep around 10,000 babies out of hospital,” he said during a recent press conference.
Getting a vaccine in pregnancy reduces the risk of severe RSV disease in infants less than six months of age by about 70 per cent, but the maternal RSV vaccine is currently only available privately for women in the late stages of pregnancy and costs up to $350. It is recommended that pregnant between 28-36 weeks gestation have the vaccine.
“What happens is that the woman develops antibodies to the RSV virus, and those antibodies pass through the placenta to the foetus and are kept by the newborn baby for their first several months of life, after birth, which is the most dangerous period in terms of an RSV infection,” the Minister explained.
The government will also provide access to an antibody for young babies, Beyfortus, which is currently only available to vulnerable newborns in some states.
Vaccinations will be available in 2025, with the start date of the program yet to be announced.
Symptoms of RSV
Most adults only get mild symptoms that usually start around 2 to 8 days after exposure to the virus. Your GP can check if you or your child has RSV by doing a nose or throat swab (also known as a PCR test).
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Wheeze
- Difficulty breathing
- Fever
