RSV vaccine approved for use in Australia
Older Australians should take advantage of the newly approved vaccine against the highly contagious Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), particularly if they are going to be around babies, AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton has told ABC Radio Brisbane.
Transcript: AMA Queensland President, Dr Maria Boulton, ABC Radio Brisbane, Drive with Kelly Higgins-Devine, Thursday 18 January 2024
Subject: RSV vaccine approved for use in Australia
KELLY HIGGINS-DEVINE: The TGA has approved Australia's first vaccine to fight against a highly contagious virus that causes the common cold. Who's eligible to get this vaccine? Dr Maria Boulton is President of the Australian Medical Association Queensland. Hey, Maria.
DR MARIA BOULTON: Good afternoon, Kelly.
KELLY HIGGINS-DEVINE: What is RSV?
DR MARIA BOULTON: RSV is a virus that can affect people of all ages - the very young, the very old adults, and it can cause respiratory symptoms. They can be quite mild, like a very mild cold or they can be severe, such as a pneumonia. In babies it can cause a disease called bronchiolitis, which can be quite severe and it can affect their ability to breathe. And if you've ever seen a baby with RSV bronchiolitis, it is really awful and quite stressful if you're a parent who has a child with that.
KELLY HIGGINS-DEVINE: Oh, absolutely. So how many cases of RSV would we see in Queensland each year?
DR MARIA BOULTON: We started tracking figures in 2022 and it's just under 30,000 a year. So far in 2024, for the first two weeks in January, we've seen almost 500 cases, so it's certainly doing the rounds. Along with COVID and mycoplasma, there’s a lot of things doing the rounds at the moment. That's why everyone you speak to has a relative that's unwell at the moment.
KELLY HIGGINS-DEVINE: Oh yeah. There are some nasties floating around. So what can you tell us about this new vaccine?
DR MARIA BOULTON: The new vaccine has been approved by the TGA in Australia, and it's a non-live vaccine. There's no live virus in it, so there's no way that you can catch RSV from it. It's been approved for use in people over the age of 60 years.
There's also another vaccine that they're working on for pregnant women, similar to whooping cough. Because as you know, when you're pregnant after 20 weeks, every pregnant woman should consider getting a whooping cough vaccine. That's so the babies are born with some antibodies. We know that there's also a similar vaccine that's in the process for RSV as well, just to protect those newborns at that really sensitive stage because newborns are so precious and we know that when they get sick, it can be quite deadly.
KELLY HIGGINS-DEVINE: Who is eligible to receive the new vaccine, Maria?
DR MARIA BOULTON: Currently anyone over the age of 60 years. They will need a script from their GP to access it and currently it's not free under the National Immunisation Program. We don't know how much it's going to cost, we don't know when the stock is going to arrive, so we just ask for people to be patient. We’re waiting for information from the supplier as to when it's going to hit the pharmacies, how much it's going to cost, and when we can start prescribing it
KELLY HIGGINS-DEVINE: Alrighty. So people aged over 60, why them in particular?
DR MARIA BOULTON: It's the same as with the flu and COVID. We know that as you get older, your immune system is not as strong. And when you become unwell, particularly if you have other chronic illnesses such as lung disease or heart disease, you're more likely to get a severe form of the disease, so you're more likely to get pneumonia, and that can be deadly. And that’s why that focus was on the people who are over 60.
KELLY HIGGINS-DEVINE: All right. So one to keep a look out next time you talk with your doctor, especially if you're already compromised in some way. It's probably something to look at as well.
DR MARIA BOULTON: Most definitely, if you're over the age of 60, if you have any chronic illness as well, it's more important. But also if you're going to be around young babies. Similarly to the way that we ask people who are going to be around young babies to have the whooping cough vaccine, I would hope that people would also consider having the RSV vaccine.
But we do we do ask everyone to be a bit patient until we get further details.
KELLY HIGGINS-DEVINE: Yep. Dr Maria Boulton, good chatting. Thank you.
