Most older Australians open to getting RSV vaccine

A new survey by the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA) suggests people aged 75 and older are keen to take part in a free immunisation program against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) introduced last month.
 
In a survey of 1011 Australians eligible for the Arexvy vaccination under a new National Immunisation Program (NIP) listing, the IFA found just 7% had decided against being immunised.
 
It also found 60% have already had the vaccination or intend to do so, with those who were undecided needing more information.
 
Of those, 76% declared they were unaware of RSV or did not know much about it, while more than 50% of respondents did not know a free RSV vaccine is now available. 
 
The IFA found only 4% of those taking part in the survey had previously paid privately for the RSV vaccine, with 60% of the rest saying they were unaware they could, and 24% saying it was too expensive.
 
The findings struck a chord with Dr Kerry Hancock, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Respiratory Medicine, who has found many older people are either unaware of RSV or believe it is confined to young children.
 
‘What they don’t know is that it causes significant illness in older people as well,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘We never used to be able to test for it, so you didn’t bother about naming the virus that was causing your respiratory tract illness because you didn’t know what it was.
 
‘We’re testing for it more, RSV is on the testing kits, so that is increasing awareness of this virus as well.’
 
Alongside increasing awareness, Dr Hancock is optimistic the NIP listing will have a significant benefit.
 
‘The 75-plus age group, they’re usually on fixed incomes, pensions, and to ask them to pay out $300 for a vaccine is a big ask,’ she said.
 
‘We expect the RSV vaccine to last for two to three years, so I would anticipate that there will be good uptake in that older age group, and it will have the impact that we expect it to have with decreasing hospitalisation and illness.

‘That’s the group that don’t tend to have as much vaccine hesitancy.’
 
In recent years, there has been a major expansion in RSV vaccination programs covering pregnant women and infants, with newly available data showing considerable success in lowering hospitalisations among newborns.
 
The Arexvy vaccine was made available for over-75s under the NIP in May, following a Federal Government funding pledge of $445 million over five years.
 
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients are eligible for the vaccine from the age of 60.  
 
So far this year, there have been 6738 RSV cases in adults aged 75 and older, according to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System.
 
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respiratory diseases respiratory syncytial virus RSV