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Care Opinion

Refused RSV vaccination

Posted By Gratefulpatient123

"Refused RSV vaccination"

About: Department of Health WA

(as a parent/guardian),

I’m reaching out with feedback about the roll out of the Nirsevimab vaccine and eligibility criteria. I have been trying and failing to obtain this vaccine for my 8 month old baby since the roll out on April 1st. I have also tried & failed to pay for this vaccine privately as my child has been deemed ineligible. I am concerned heading in to winter for the health risk to my infant without this vaccine.

On the healthy WA website, “This includes infants who are under eight months old and entering their first RSV season.”

My child was born 24/7/23, this winter will technically be their second RSV season as they were born in the peak of RSV season in 2023. My child has recently recovered from their second Covid infection in their 8 months of life. Both illnesses have had significant impact on his health including x4 ED presentations for respiratory distress, subsequent bronchiolitis diagnosis and symptoms lasting >4 weeks this time. Not to mention the anxiety & worry this has caused my partner & I watching our infant battle germs too big for their small body.

I am on parental leave from my role as a CN & CNS in child health. As an emergency nurse & immuniser I am not only concerned for the potential health risk to my child in the coming months with their exisiting vulnerability but the pressure I’m sure this will put on our Emergency Departments this winter without preventative vaccine, especially for those wanting to access it?!

I am so pleased WA health is offering this vaccine, having nursed many children with RSV I’m very aware of how dangerous this virus can be. You can imagine the disappointment I am experiencing that my child has not been deemed eligible.

I have much respect for the health service that I access as a parent however am struggling to understand the rationale to exclude infants under 12 months of age from this vaccine?

Recently, while receiving the meningococcal B & flu vax in Margaret River for my child I enquired again about the RSV vaccine, again. We were declined as per guideline. I’m aware this is ‘care opinion’ & not an avenue where I can request a script for this vaccine but I would love to be contacted about scope to access this vaccine or if there is another way to protect my child heading in to RSV season?

Kind regards,

Worried parent

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Responses

Response from Care Opinion Australia, Care Opinion Australia last week
Care Opinion Australia
Care Opinion Australia

Submitted on 7/05/2024 at 9:35 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 9:38 AM

This response was posted by Care Opinion Australia on behalf of the Department of Health WA:

Thank you for your Care Opinion post regarding the eligibility criteria for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infant Immunisation Program. We are sorry to hear of your son’s medical issues.

Please note that the sentence referring to “infants aged under eight months old and entering their first Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) season” at https://www.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/N_R/Respiratory-syncytial-virus-RSV-immunisation is currently under revision.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) notes that infants aged under 6 months have the highest rate of (RSV) hospitalisation compared to all other age groups, including adults. For this reason, infants born before 1 October 2023 are considered to have a lower risk of severe disease and are not recommended to receive Nirsevimab.

Nirsevimab is approved in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract disease in:

- neonates and infants born during or entering their first RSV season, which occurs typically from May to September in Western Australia (WA)\

- children up to 24 months of age who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease through their second RSV season.

In WA, Nirsevimab will be offered at birth to all babies born between 1 May and 30 September 2024.

Nirsevimab will also be offered until 30 September 2024:

- as a catch-up program for babies born from 1 October 2023

- to all Aboriginal children born from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2024

- to some medically at-risk children in their second RSV season born from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023

Unfortunately, Nirsevimab is not available outside of these eligibility criteria and is unavailable for private purchase.

For individual specialist immunisation enquiries please contact the specialist immunisation clinic at PCH. Information can be found via the following link: Immunisation Service (health.wa.gov.au)

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by Gratefulpatient123 (a parent/guardian)

Thank you very much for your response. I’m aware of the eligibility criteria, this information is what I have taken issue with. Very pleased younger infants are eligible and I hope families take this opportunity and the roll out is successful. I was hoping to be able to pay for this vaccine privately so that my child is protected. I still have the same concerns for my child’s health as I did when my care opinion was published. I really hope this will be considered in future RSV seasons

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