Immunity gap: RSV vaccines funded, but not for everyone who needs them

On Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Awareness Week (1-7 June), as Australia surpasses 60,000 RSV cases this year, GPs are pressing federal, state, and territory governments to make the RSV vaccination free for all at-risk groups, aiming to safeguard our most vulnerable populations.

Since February, Pfizer’s Abrysvo RSV vaccine for pregnant women has been accessible, followed by Sanofi’s Beyfortus in April, aimed at infants. This marked the commencement of a nationwide RSV mitigation strategy for the leading cause of hospital admissions among Australian infants.

GSK recently obtained TGA approval for its RSV vaccine, Arexvy (adjuvanted RSVPreF3OA), the first such approval for adults aged 50-59 years at high risk. While Pfizer’s and Sanofi’s vaccines are funded under the National Immunisation Program (NIP), GSK’s vaccine currently lacks funding.

Dr Michael Wright, President of RACGP, stressed, “At this stage free vaccines for other at-risk groups are not funded nationally and they vary from state to state. 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.”

The Handbook advocates RSV vaccination for pregnant women, all individuals over 75 years, and those over 60 who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or have medical risk factors for severe RSV disease.

New data from AusVaxSafety on the safety of maternal vaccines shows that Abrysvo RSV vaccine during pregnancy is well tolerated, with initial data indicating a similar adverse event profile to other maternal vaccines under the NIP.

Dr Lucy Deng, Clinical Lead at AusVaxSafety, highlighted, “This is the first surveillance data published in Australia examining the short-term safety profile of the Abrysvo vaccine outside of a clinical trial setting.

“Compared with receiving Abysvo alone, the rate and type of adverse events in individuals who received Abrysvo concomitantly remained largely unchanged. If pregnant individuals are due multiple vaccines, the vaccines can be administered together to avoid the need for separate vaccination visits.”

In addition, community pharmacies now offer free RSV vaccines to eligible patients.

Professor Trent Twomey, National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, noted, Community pharmacies offer walk in services, enabling patients to visit at a time that’s convenient to them – and they understand the needs of their local community.”

Dr Wright reiterated, “With over half of reported cases affecting children under four and nearly 20% occurring in those over 60, protecting these demographics is paramount.”

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