It has recently been recommended by the Australian Government Dept of Health that pregnant women should receive an RSV vaccine during pregnancy. It is free for pregnant women through their GPs.
The Government website states…
“A single dose of Abrysvo (RSV vaccine) is recommended for pregnant women at 28–36 weeks gestation to protect the infant.
Abrysvo is the only RSV vaccine approved for use in pregnant women. Arexvy should not be given to pregnant women.
RSV infection in infants often causes lower respiratory tract disease, such as bronchiolitis. It is most likely to be severe during the first 6 months of life, frequently requiring hospitalisation. Maternal immunisation reduces the risk of severe RSV disease in infants <6 months of age by around 70% (see Vaccine information). This is the result of passive protection by transplacental transfer of RSV-specific antibodies from the mother to the foetus during pregnancy.
Maternal RSV vaccine is administered mainly to protect newborn infants. Vaccination may also protect pregnant women against RSV disease, but this is usually mild in women of child-bearing age and clinical trials did not study protection to the mother from vaccination.
Women who are breastfeeding but not pregnant are not recommended to receive an RSV vaccine. There are no theoretical safety concerns, but there is also no evidence that vaccination would protect the infant through breastfeeding alone.
The recommended time for RSV vaccination during pregnancy is between 28 and 36 weeks gestation.
If a pregnant woman is not vaccinated before 36 weeks gestation, they should receive the vaccine as soon as possible after 36 weeks gestation. An immune response to the vaccine develops within the weeks after vaccination and transplacental antibody transfer to the infant increases progressively from the time of vaccination. However, infants are not expected to be adequately protected unless they are born at least 2 weeks after the mother received the vaccine.1
If delivery occurs within 2 weeks of the mother receiving the RSV vaccine, the infant is recommended to receive nirsevimab (a long-acting RSV-specific monoclonal antibody) to provide additional protection.
RSV vaccines can be given at the same time as, or separate to, dTpa, influenza and COVID-19 vaccines”
