On this page
- What is RSV disease?
- How common is severe RSV disease in Australian infants and young children?
- When does RSV peak in NSW?
- What RSV immunisation products are funded in 2025 to protect infants and young children from severe RSV?
- How do RSV immunisation products protect infants and children?
- Who is eligible to receive Abrysvo®?
- Who is eligible to receive the NSW funded monoclonal antibody, nirsevimab?
- Is the Abrysvo® vaccine recommended in each pregnancy?
- Where can eligible infants and children access the NSW funded nirsevimab?
- What if a newborn infant is not given nirsevimab before discharge from hospital?
- How can primary care providers order nirsevimab for eligible infants?
- If an infant received nirsevimab outside of the peak RSV activity period under the 2024 NSW RSV Vulnerable Babies Program, do they require a repeat dose before entering their first RSV season in 2025?
- How effective are the RSV immunisation products in protecting infants and young children from severe RSV disease?
- Can nirsevimab be given to children who have previously been diagnosed with RSV?
- Can children that have received Synagis (palivizumab) also receive Beyfortus™ (nirsevimab)?
- Where can I find the latest safety data on the RSV immunisation products?
- How can I report a suspected adverse event following immunisation with RSV immunisation products?
- Where can I find answers to common clinical questions about the RSV immunisation products?
- What additional information about the 2025 NSW RSV Prevention Program is available for pregnant women and parents?
- More information
What is RSV disease?
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that can infect people of all ages and usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious and lead to severe conditions such as bronchiolitis in infants and pneumonia. Infants and older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalisation. RSV is spread through droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze.
RSV is recognised as one of the most common causes of childhood illness and is the most common cause of hospitalisation in infants. Early-life RSV infection has been associated with significant long-term respiratory issues, including recurrent lower respiratory tract infections, recurrent wheezing, asthma, and lung function impairment, and these conditions can persist into adulthood as chronic respiratory disease.
How common is severe RSV disease in Australian infants and young children?
Almost all children experience at least one RSV infection within their first two years of life.
In NSW between 2016 and 2023, there were more than 52,000 hospitalisations with an RSV diagnosis, of which approximately 41 per cent (21,000) were in children aged less than 1 year.
For more information refer to the
NSW RSV Prevention Program – Clinicians Guide.
When does RSV peak in NSW?
In NSW, RSV hospitalisations are more common in autumn and winter (March to August) – however, they occur year-round.
What RSV immunisation products are funded in 2025 to protect infants and young children from severe RSV?
In 2025, infants will be offered protection from severe RSV disease:
- Abrysvo® RSV vaccine is funded under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for pregnant women at 28-36 weeks gestation to protect their infants from severe RSV disease in their first 6 months of life.
- From
17 March 2025, nirsevimab (brand name Beyfortus™), a long-acting monoclonal antibody, will be funded by NSW Health for:
- infants at birth, who are born or after 1 Janaury 2025, not protected through maternal RSV vaccination or who have risk conditions for severe RSV disease regardless of the mothers maternal vaccination status
- children up to 24 months of age with risk conditions for severe RSV disease entering their second RSV season and
- NSW RSV Vulnerable Babies Program catch-up for infants born from 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2025 who are not protected by maternal vaccination and did not receive nirsevimab at birth.
Refer to NSW Health RSV Prevention Program: Eligibility for detailed information.
RSV vaccines are not currently available for infants in Australia or internationally.
How do RSV immunisation products protect infants and children?
Both Abrysvo® and nirsevimab are designed to protect infants against severe RSV disease through passive immunisation.
When a pregnant woman receives Abrysvo®, her immune system produces antibodies to RSV in the first few weeks after the vaccination. The placenta transports these antibodies to the foetus. The antibodies protect the infant from severe RSV disease after birth for up to 6 months.
Nirsevimab is a monoclonal antibody for use in infants and young children to protect against severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Nirsevimab is a passive immunisation that provides antibodies directly to the infant so they have immediate protection against RSV that lasts for their first 6 months of life.
Who is eligible to receive Abrysvo®?
A single dose of Abrysvo® is funded under the NIP for all pregnant women and recommended at 28 to 36 weeks gestation. Abrysvo® should be offered to pregnant women at the 28-week antenatal appointment to ensure a high level of antibodies is transferred to the baby and maximise protection for infants who are born prematurely.
Please note that Abrysvo® is registered for use from 24 weeks to 36 weeks however is not recommended for use from 24 to ≤28 weeks until additional safety and efficacy data is available.
Abrysvo® can be given beyond 36 weeks gestation however infants may not be adequately protected if they are born within 2 weeks of the mother receiving the vaccine. If delivery occurs within 2 weeks of the mother receiving Abrysvo®, the infant is recommended to also receive nirsevimab (see below eligibility for funded nirsevimab in NSW). Providers should use their clinical judgement and conduct a risk/benefit assessment to determine if and/or when their patient should receive the RSV vaccine. If the mother is scheduled to give birth shortly, health professionals may wish to discuss use of nirsevimab to provide the newborn with optimal protection.
Who is eligible to receive the NSW funded monoclonal antibody, nirsevimab?
From 17 March 2025, under the
NSW RSV Prevention Program, nirsevimab is recommended and funded by NSW Health for infants at birth, born on or after 1 January 2025, who are not protected by maternal RSV vaccination and for infants who have risk conditions for severe RSV disease. Children up to 24 months of age with risk conditions for severe RSV disease and children requiring catch up will also be eligible to receive nirsevimab. Refer to
NSW Health RSV Prevention Program: Eligibility for detailed information.
Is the Abrysvo® vaccine recommended in each pregnancy?
Advice about repeat vaccination of Abrysvo® in subsequent pregnancies is not available yet and will be provided when more data becomes available.
Where can eligible infants and children access the NSW funded nirsevimab?
Eligible infants and children can access nirsevimab from a range of healthcare providers.
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Newborn infants who are not protected by maternal vaccination or who have risk conditions for severe RSV should be offered nirsevimab after birth and prior to discharge. Refer to What if a newborn infant is not given nirsevimab before discharge from hospital?
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Children up to 24 months of age who are eligible for nirsevimab at the start of their second RSV season and
infants requiring catch up will be able to access nirsevimab from their primary care provider including a local general practitioner (GP), community health centre or Aboriginal medical service (AMS). Some outpatient clinics may also offer nirsevimab to eligible infants and children.
What if a newborn infant is not given nirsevimab before discharge from hospital?
All eligible newborn infants should be offered nirsevimab before they are discharged from hospital. However, if a newborn infant is not immunised with nirsevimab before they are discharged from hospital, they can receive nirsevimab up to 6 months of age from their GP, community health centre or Aboriginal medical service.
GPs, community health centre or Aboriginal medical services that require nirsevimab for an eligible newborn infant born on or after 1 January 2025 who did not receive nirsevimab before discharge from hospital must use the Nirsevimab Order Form on the NSW Vaccine Centre to order nirsevimab.
How can primary care providers order nirsevimab for eligible infants?
Primary care providers such as GPs, Aboriginal medical services and community health centres can order nirsevimab for eligible newborn infants, children up to 24 months of age who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease and infants requiring catch up using the
Nirsevimab Order Form on the
NSW Vaccine Centre.
One form for each individual child must be completed. The
Nirsevimab Order Form can be found by logging into the
NSW Vaccine Centre.
Refer to NSW Health RSV Prevention Program: Eligibility for detailed eligibility information.
If an infant received nirsevimab outside of the peak RSV activity period under the 2024 NSW RSV Vulnerable Babies Program, do they require a repeat dose before entering their first RSV season in 2025?
No. A repeat dose of nirsevimab is not recommended for infants that received nirsevimab outside of the peak RSV activity period under the 2024 NSW RSV Vulnerable Babies Program who are entering their first RSV season in 2025. RSV circulates year-round and babies are most at risk in the first few months of life.
However, children up to 24 months of age with risk conditions for severe RSV entering their second RSV season are recommended to receive nirsevimab prior to the peak RSV season (from March onwards), regardless of whether they previously received a dose of nirsevimab. A minimum interval of 6 months is recommended between a 1st and 2nd season dose of nirsevimab. Refer to
NSW Health RSV Prevention Program: Eligibility for more information.
How effective are the RSV immunisation products in protecting infants and young children from severe RSV disease?
In clinical trials, Abrysvo® was found to reduce the risk of infant hospitalisation from RSV disease by 57% for up to 6 months. In addition, Abrysvo® efficacy was 70% in protecting infants from severe medically attended RSV-confirmed lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in their first 6 months of life.
Each dose of nirsevimab provides protection for at least 5 months. Clinical trials have demonstrated that the risk of hospitalisation from RSV infection is reduced by almost 80% in infants who receive nirsevimab.
The clinical trial data on the efficacy of RSV immunisation products is available on the
NCIRS - Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) FAQs.
Can nirsevimab be given to children who have previously been diagnosed with RSV?
Infants and children less than 24 months old who have previously had an RSV infection are recommended to receive RSV-specific monoclonal antibodies once recovered.
Can children that have received Synagis (palivizumab) also receive Beyfortus™ (nirsevimab)?
Infants and children less than 24 months old who have already received Synagis (palivizumab) and who meet the NSW Health RSV Prevention Program: Eligibility can receive Beyfortus™ (nirsevimab). Beyfortus™ (nirsevimab) can be administered 28 days after Synagis (palivizumab), instead of their next Synagis (palivizumab) dose. Synagis (palivizumab) should then be discontinued.
Where can I find the latest safety data on the RSV immunisation products?
Data on the safety of RSV immunisation products is monitored by the TGA. The clinical trial data on the safety of nirsevimab is available on
NCIRS.
AusVaxSafety the national active vaccine surveillance system, will also be monitoring the safety of RSV immunisation products to ensure their ongoing safety. For more information visit
RSV vaccines | AusVaxSafety.
Additional information about the safety of RSV immunisation products is also available in the
NSW RSV Prevention Program – Clinicians Guide.
How can I report a suspected adverse event following immunisation with RSV immunisation products?
Report all uncommon, serious, significant or unexpected adverse events following medication administration. To report a suspected adverse event, please download the
National Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) Reporting Form and contact your local public health unit on 1300 066 055.
Where can I find answers to common clinical questions about the RSV immunisation products?
For more frequently asked questions about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) visit
NCIRS - Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) FAQs.
What additional information about the 2025 NSW RSV Prevention Program is available for pregnant women and parents?
Resources for pregnant women and parents about the RSV prevention program are available on
More information
