Free RSV Vaccine
Pregnant women will have free access to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine from 3 February 2025. See why this is such good news for mums and bubs.
BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE
Respiratory syncytial virus has a very clinical-sounding name, but if your family gets this illness, then it’s personal.
RSV, as it’s commonly known, is a virus that affects the nose, throat and lungs to make life miserable; and although most infants will get RSV by the age of two, this virus can be serious, especially in the first six months of life.
The government explains that RSV is a leading cause of hospitalisation for Australian babies, with around 12,000 bubbas being admitted annually with severe RSV, and they're investing sizeable funds to bring this figure down.
From 3 February 2025, women who are 28 to 36 weeks pregnant will be able to get a free RSV vaccine to protect them and their newborn baby against the virus.
The Abrysvo® RSV vaccine will be available under the National Immunisation Program, and it promises to greatly reduce the risk of severe RSV in young babies, and avoid around 10,000 of those 12,000 hospitalisations.
Pregnant women who get the jab will pass the antibodies to their unborn child through the placenta, which will help to protect their baby from the moment they're born, and reduce the risk of severe RSV in their bub's first six months by about 70%.
As of 3 February 2025, eligible mums-to-be will just need a Medicare card, or eligibility for one, to get the $300 vaccine for free.
Doctors, midwives and vaccine providers are all on hand to provide expectant mums with further info, and the government provides assurance that, ‘Pregnant women can safely receive the RSV vaccine at the same time as other free and recommended maternal vaccines, influenza and whooping cough.’
There’s more information about vaccinations during pregnancy here, and if your little one has already arrived in the world, then there is an approved RSV vaccine for babies and young children.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the RSV vaccine Beyfortus (nirsevimab) for:
- Newborns and infants born just before or during their first RSV season.
- Children up to 24 months who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease through their second RSV season.
The Australian government is working with the states and territories to ensure there is national access to nirsevimab for eligible babies and young children, and your healthcare provider will be able to explain if a state/territory program currently applies to your little one.
Wherever you’re placed, now’s a good time to read up on RSV, so you can spot the symptoms of this virus. distinguish it from cold and flu, and take additional steps to prevent infection (hello handwashing and cough etiquette!).
