The health minister said the rollout will ‘cut the hospitalisation rate from about 12,000 a year by 10,000.’
Pregnant women will soon have free access to a vaccine that protects newborns from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the leading cause of hospitalisation for babies.
RSV is a highly contagious virus that affects the nose, throat and lungs. Almost all infants will be infected with RSV before the age of two, and the virus is responsible for over 12,000 babies a year being admitted to hospital.
Administering the vaccine during pregnancy reduces the risk of severe cases of RSV among infants under six months by around 70 percent.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the rollout would ensure better protection for babies and their parents.
“Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be rolling out the world’s most comprehensive protection program for our babies against RSV,” he told Nine’s Today program on Jan. 19.
“That will cut the hospitalisation rate from about 12,000 a year by 10,000—a huge relief to parents but also a relief to a pressured hospital system.”
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The vaccine will be made available for women in their 28th to 36th week of pregnancy, protecting them and their child from the virus for up to six months.
The rollout is funded through a federal investment of $174.5 million U(S$108.1 million) under the National Immunisation Program.
Pregnant women can safely receive the vaccine at the same time as other free maternal inoculations like influenza and whooping cough.
Founding director of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, Catherine Hughes, said the vaccine rollout was critical.
“This is a huge milestone to help protect infants from RSV and will provide long-awaited support for many Australian families,” she said.
“Australia leads the world with some of the highest maternal vaccination rates, and I expect that to continue with the introduction of a maternal RSV vaccine.”
RSV Prevention
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Steve Robson said maternal immunisation is a well-established public health approach to help protect newborns from infectious diseases.
“Since infants are at the highest risk of severe RSV disease and complications during the first six months of life, maternal immunisation provides the first opportunity to help protect babies against RSV disease,” Robson said.
In addition to the free rollout, the government is also working with all states and territories to support national access to Beyfortus, an injection given directly to babies to provide immunity against RSV.
“Our combination approach, in partnership with each state and territory, will ensure that every single infant in Australia is protected ahead of the winter RSV season,” Butler said.
