Pregnant women and babies will have greater protection against a condition known as respiratory syncytial virus as part of an expanded vaccination program.
The federal government will spend more than $174 million to give pregnant women a free vaccine for RSV ahead of next year’s winter, with national access also expanded for newborns and young children.
RSV is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation for young children, with 12,000 babies admitted each winter.
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Health Minister Mark Butler said the expanded vaccination scheme would help to keep 10,000 babies out of hospital each year.
“We’ve seen about 160,000 cases of RSV recorded over the course of this winter, half of them were under-four-year-olds. It really huts under-two-year-olds very, very hard,” he told Sky News on Sunday.
“This (vaccination) program we think will cut that hospitalisation rate (for babies) up to 90 per cent, a huge win for families.”
RSV is a respiratory virus that affects the nose, throat and lungs, with infants being most at risk.
Butler said immunisations for pregnant women significantly reduces the risk of RSV in children under six months.
“Our combination approach, in partnership with each state and territory, will ensure that every single infant in Australia is protected ahead of the winter RSV season,” he said.
“This is a world-leading approach to reduce the impact of RSV on babies.”