Immunising against RSV at Redcliffe

Redcliffe Hospital has joined the fight against RSV, a virus that is the most common cause of hospitalisation for infants and young children.

In April, Redcliffe Hospital joined the Queensland Government Queensland Paediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prevention (QPRSVP) Program, providing a TGA-approved long-acting monoclonal antibody to newborn infants at the time of birth or before they go home.

Alyssa Kemp is the Complex Care Coordinator in the Redcliffe Hospital Paediatric ward, where they see the impact of RSV on infants and children first-hand.

“RSV is a respiratory virus that is particularly nasty for babies and vulnerable infants, as well as patients who are immunocompromised,” Alyssa said.

“We see a lot of RSV at Redcliffe Hospital, especially during winter when we get lots of admissions to our paediatric ward of children with RSV.

“Generally, they’ll present with cough and cold-like symptoms. They’ll be unwell with fevers, which, in serious cases, can progress to the point where they need to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.”

Alyssa said that it was expected that RSV immunisation would help to reduce the number of sick kids needing hospitalisation because of RSV, and with less RSV spreading in the wider community, it would also help to protect vulnerable adults.

“The big season for RSV tends to be from March to around August. Anything that reduces the prevalence of RSV in our community is a good thing,” she said.

Redcliffe Hospital Midwifery Unity Manager Jeanie Cooper said in the first two weeks of the program, more than two dozen newborns born at the hospital have received the immunisation.

“Most mums and families coming through the maternity ward have been very excited that the RSV immunisation has been available,” Jeanie said.

Jeanie said new parents received good information about the TGA-approved immunisation, which helped them make an informed choice about the new RSV immunisation.

“We’re proud to be doing our part to keep babies and families healthy and helping prevent unnecessary admissions to the paediatric ward,” Jeanie said.  

More information about RSV and the RSV immunisation is available from Queensland Health’s immunisation website.