The Australian Government is investing $174.5 million to give eligible pregnant women free access to the RSV vaccine, Abrysvo®, under the National Immunisation Program (NIP).
The free maternal RSV vaccine will be available to women who are 28 to 36 weeks pregnant, to protect their newborn babies from serious illness.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that affects the nose, throat and lungs.
Almost all infants will be infected with RSV before the age of two, with around 12,000 babies admitted to hospital each year with severe RSV. It is a leading cause of hospitalisation of babies in Australia.
Maternal immunisation reduces the risk of severe RSV disease in infants under 6 months of age by about 70 per cent.
Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said without a subsidy, Australians could expect to pay $300 for the vaccine.
The immunisations are expected to slash hospitalisation rates and keep an estimated 10,000 infants out of hospital each year.
“Almost all infants will get RSV in their first two years,” Mr Neumann said.
“Thanks to the Albanese Labor Government adding the RSV vaccine to the National Immunisation Program, the more than 2,700 babies born across Ipswich and the Somerset region each year can safely receive the RSV vaccine at the same time as other free and recommended maternal vaccines, influenza and whooping cough, which are already available for free on the NIP for pregnant women.
“This is a huge milestone to help protect infants from RSV and will provide long-awaited support for many Australian families.”
To ensure that every Australian baby is protected, the Australian Government has worked with all States and Territories to support national access to the monoclonal antibody, Beyfortus™, which provides direct protection to newborns and young children.
The Commonwealth has brought together a national working group to support this work.
To learn more about the recommended guidance on RSV by the ATAGI, you can find the Australian Immunisation Handbook online at https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/
