WA AND QLD RSV IMMUNISATION PROGRAMS SHOW SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN INFANT HOSPITALISATIONS Consumer and HCP awareness, advocacy focus until national program decision is reversed

Filmed Perth, Western Australia | October 2024

RSV is the number one cause of hospitalisation of Australian children under five years of age, according to the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA). There are mounting concerns that Australians at greatest risk of severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV will miss out on protection against the lung infection, with the Federal Government failing to commit to a national RSV immunisation program.

Associate Professor Hannah Moore OAM, Program Head of Infections and Vaccines at the Kids Research Institute Australia, met with Australian Health Journal to discuss the impact of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) on children and immunisation showing evidence of a significant reduction in hospitalisations. 

She talks about RSV causing chest infections in babies and adults, with most children being infected by the age of three. However, certain groups face higher disease rates, and infants under six months are particularly vulnerable, with up to one in 30 being hospitalised. Even older children up to five years old experience hospitalisation rates for RSV around one in 500 children.

Australian Health Journal also spoke with Catherine Hughes, the Founder and Executive Director of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA), on the need for RSV immunisations to be included in the National Immunisation Plan to ensure equitable access for vulnerable Australians. RSV immunisation programs in Western Australia and Queensland are showing promising results, leading to a significant reduction in hospitalisations. This is in contrast with the disappointment in the PBAC recently rejecting a national RSV vaccine push.

“Australia urgently needs a nationwide RSV immunisation program,” said Catherine Hughes AM, Founder and Director of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia.

IFA aims to raise awareness of RSV severity and has launched the “Unite Against RSV” campaign to provide resources for the clinical community and families. Additionally, vaccines for adults over 60 and pregnant women, as well as antibody therapy for infants, have been approved to combat RSV. The Foundation also provides regular updates on policy changes related to RSV to clinicians and other providers through its website and email subscriptions.

Efforts are being made to ensure that all Australians, especially vulnerable individuals, have access to affordable RSV immunisations. The Foundation’s advocacy work aims to include RSV immunisations on the National Immunisation Plan to guarantee easy access for all Australian families. The success of RSV immunisation programs in Western Australia and Queensland mounts the evidence on the positive impact of proactive measures in combating RSV.