Best Practice Infant RSV Immunisation Consensus Statement
On behalf of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, I am pleased to share the Best Practice Infant RSV Immunisation Consensus Statement, developed by immunisation experts, researchers and patient advocates. It was released today and is available on the IFA website.
The Consensus Statement presents evidence-based, best-practice guidance to improve protection against severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Australian infants.
Australia's national RSV Mother and Infant Protection Program combines two complementary approaches, maternal vaccination and direct infant antibody immunisation. Together they provide the opportunity to greatly reduce the number of infants admitted to Australian hospitals with severe RSV disease.
However, responsibility for the program is currently split between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments. This has contributed to differences in eligibility, access, communication and delivery across jurisdictions. These inconsistencies create uncertainty for healthcare professionals and families, and increase the risk that some infants, particularly those at higher risk of severe RSV, miss out on appropriate protection.
Several recommendations sit directly with nurse practitioner scope, including catch-up pathways ahead of the RSV season, checking the Australian Immunisation Register to confirm whether an infant has been protected through maternal vaccination, and administering antibody protection where that is uncertain.
The Consensus Statement recommends that immunisation providers, health services and policymakers:
- Maintain maternal vaccination and infant immunisation as complementary parts of a dual RSV protection program.
- Embed maternal RSV vaccination into routine antenatal care.
- Include antibody immunisation for infants not protected by maternal RSV vaccination and all high-risk infants in national frameworks, including the National Immunisation Program, subject to demonstrated cost-effectiveness.
- Update the Australian Immunisation Handbook to include infants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent and those born before 36 weeks of gestation as additional risk factors for severe RSV disease.
- Standardise eligibility, communication and delivery nationally to ensure equitable access.
We hope you and your members find the Consensus Statement a useful resource, and welcome the opportunity to discuss it or answer any questions.
For more information Best Practice Infant RSV Immunisation Consensus Statement