Residents in public residential aged care services aged 60 and over can now claim a free vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
Announced by the state government earlier this week, the Arexvy® RSV vaccine will be delivered to residents aged 60 and over in public and Aboriginal community-controlled aged care services.
RSV is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can affect people of all ages but can cause serious illness in older people – particularly those with existing heart or lung conditions or weakened immune systems.
The Arexvy vaccine has been shown to reduce the severity of RSV infections, including the risk of complications like pneumonia and bronchiolitis.
Ageing Minister Ingrid Stitt said that no family wants to imagine their parent or grandparent sick, and this free immunisation program will keep residents of the public sector residential aged care services safe from serious respiratory illness caused by RSV.
The RSV immunisation program is also supported by strong clinical guidance including from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) which recommend RSV vaccination for people aged 75 and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 60 and over, and those with medical risk factors.
In Australia, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalisation in infants, often progressing to serious conditions like pneumonia or bronchiolitis.
Mothers are also encouraged to get vaccinated during their pregnancy to help build immunity in their baby as early as possible.
However, for those unable to be immunised with Abrysvo, or mothers immunised less than two weeks before delivery, the state-funded nirsevimab vaccine is available for babies.
