Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common highly infectious virus that affects the respiratory system (lungs and breathing passages).
RSV is an unpredictable virus that causes seasonal outbreaks, usually during winter.
RSV infections are usually mild with cold-like symptoms, but can develop to cause more serious illness, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Babies aged less than 6 months of age are at highest risk for severe illness. Eligible infants and young children can get immunised against RSV.
RSV easily spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks sending respiratory droplets containing the virus into the air.
These droplets can end up in other people’s eyes, nose or mouths where they can cause infection.
These droplets can also land on objects, such as door handles, surfaces or toys, where other people can touch them and then transfer the virus to their eyes, nose or mouths.
It can also spread through hand-to-hand contact with an infected person.
RSV infections are often mild with symptoms similar to a common cold. RSV is one of the most frequent causes of coughs, colds, and earaches, but the illness can worsen quickly, in as little as 2 to 3 days after infection.
Symptoms include, fever, runny nose, headache, sneezing, coughing and wheezing.
In infants and children, RSV infection may cause difficulty breathing, and the infection may progress to more serious respiratory infections such as, bronchiolitis (chest infection), pneumonia (lung infection) and croup (voice box and windpipe infection).
RSV can be diagnosed by a PCR test (nose or throat swab) or blood test.
The RSV immunisation (nirsevimab) is safe and effective at preventing RSV.
One dose of nirsevimab protects babies for at least 5 months.
Once your child receives the nirsevimab immunisation, it will be recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).From 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024, nirsevimab will be offered: as a catch-up program for babies born from 1 October 2023 to 30 April 2024, to all Aboriginal children born from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2024, to some medically at-risk children in their second RSV season born from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023 (your child’s doctor will advise you if your child should receive a dose).
Additionally, nirsevimab will be offered at birth to all babies born between 1 May and 30 September 2024.
