Australian first: Vic govt delivers free RSV jabs to over 60s

Older Victorians living in public aged care homes will receive a free Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine in a national first.

The Allan government announced on Monday that the $2.2m program will immunise residents aged 60 and over against the highly contagious virus.

The RSV vaccine will be offered to the roughly 5000 residents in public sector residential or Aboriginal community-controlled aged care services.

The program started late last month with more than 1600 aged care residents already receiving the jab.

Minister for Ageing Ingrid Stitt said they were proud “to be the first state in Australia delivering a free RSV vaccination program”.

“No family wants to imagine their parent or grandparent sick and this free immunisation program will keep residents of our Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services safe from serious respiratory illness caused by RSV,” she said.

While it is expected that almost all infants will catch the virus at some point in their first two years of life, RSV can cause serious illness in older people – particularly those with existing heart or lung conditions or weakened immune system.

The RSV vaccination is currently recommended for all Australians aged 75 and over, or 60 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those with medical risk factors. Immunisation reduces the severity of RSV infections, including the risk of potentially life-threatening complications.

The RSV Program For Older Victorians builds on the federal government's $174.5m ”world-leading” free National RSV Mother and Infant Protection Program.

Predicted to reduce the hospitalisation of babies with severe RSV symptoms by up to 90 per cent, the fully funded inoculation program has shown early signs of success.

The Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA) reported that, when comparing the month of April with the same time in 2024, data shows a 50 per cent drop in babies admitted to hospital with RSV.

However, as people aged over 60 represent around 20 per cent of reported RSV cases in Australia, the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) supports governments doing more to protect older people and those with chronic health conditions.

“What we really need to see now is all vaccines recommended in the Australian Immunisation Handbook to be freely available for every at-risk group,” RACGP president Dr Michael Wright said.

“Federal and State Governments must cooperate to ensure all vulnerable groups can access the vaccine for free to keep them safe and reduce the spread of the disease.”