Infants will be able to receive a free immunisation to protect them against serious illness from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), under a new $16.6 million NSW Government RSV prevention program to begin next year.
RSV is a major cause of respiratory illness infecting up to 90 per cent of children within the first two years of life.
It can affect anyone, but the infection is more severe in children under one year of age, who may develop bronchiolitis or pneumonia requiring hospitalisation.
This year there have been about 70,000 cases of RSV detected in people who were tested in NSW to November 7.
More than 10,000, or 15 per cent, of the cases were among children aged under twelve months old.
The RSV prevention program will see the NSW Government fund nirsevimab, a type of monoclonal antibody immunisation, from mid-March for babies who are not protected through maternal vaccination, and those at increased risk of severe RSV.
From early 2025, pregnant women will be offered a free vaccine, recommended at 28-36 weeks of pregnancy, under the National Immunisation Program, which will in turn protect their newborn infant from RSV.
The existing NSW RSV vulnerable babies program provided nirsevimab to more than 4,500 vulnerable infants to September this year, among whom 86 per cent were aged under six months.
Preliminary data shows the program resulted in a 25 per cent reduction in RSV notification rates in all infants less than six months old, compared to children aged 12-18 months, very few of whom received nirsevimab.
Everyone can help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses, including RSV, by taking these simple steps:
• Stay at home if you have cold or flu symptoms and wear a mask if you need to leave home;
• Get together outdoors or in large, well-ventilated spaces with open doors and windows;
• Avoid crowded places;
• Don't visit people who are at higher risk of severe illness if you have cold or flu symptoms; and
• Practice good hand hygiene, including regular handwashing.
For further information on how to protect yourself and others from RSV, go to https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/respiratory-syncytial-virus.aspx#.