The West Australian government has expanded its immunisation program for babies born in spring and summer.
Western Australia’s move to boost its immunisations program will help prevent hospitalisations when RSV case numbers surge in winter, experts say.
The Western Australian government recently announced the expansion of its state-funded immunisation program against RSV, with all babies born between 1 October 2025 and 31 March 2026 now eligible to receive the infant immunisation nirsevimab for free in the lead up to winter – regardless of whether their mother received an RSV vaccine before giving birth.
This is the first time such an expansion has been announced in Australia.
Maternal and infant RSV immunisations work in tandem to protect young children from RSV. The maternal vaccination provides coverage for the first six months of life, and the infant immunisation includes pre-made antibodies directly to the child that offers additional protection throughout the RSV season.
Babies born during spring and summer typically see a decrease in their maternal antibodies by the time the winder RSV season arrives, leaving them at risk of infection.
“Winter is when we see a surge in respiratory illness, and RSV can be particularly serious for babies,” said Western Australian health minister Meredith Hammat.
“This is exactly what good preventative health looks like – acting early to keep people well and easing pressure on our hospitals during the busy winter months.”
Catherine Hughes AM, founder and director of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, welcomed the announcement.
“This is wonderful news for Western Australian babies and their families. Parents can now protect their babies from birth, when they are most vulnerable, and if needed, again ahead of winter when RSV cases and hospital admissions spike,” she said in a statement.
“RSV protection will not be a case of ‘either-or’ for Western Australian babies. This world-leading approach provides the best possible protection against RSV, a virus that has historically been the leading cause of admission to hospital for infants.
“We commend Western Australia for continuing to lead the fight against RSV. In addition to being a global leader in RSV surveillance and research, Western Australia was the first state to fund infant RSV immunisation, and it’s now the first state to double-down on efforts to immunise un-protected and under-protected babies.”
Ms Hughes encouraged other state governments, as well as the federal government, to follow the example set by Western Australia.
Related
Data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System shows that RSV cases in 2026 have decreased compared to 2025 but remain concerningly high. In the first quarter of 2026 there were 21,555 recorded cases of RSV, with 9146 of these occurring in children under the age of five – down from 24,206 and 12,046 during the same period last year.
The expanded immunisation program will run until the end of September. It will also cover infants born between April and September 2026 who have a high-risk condition or who are immunocompromised, Aboriginal children born on or after 1 October 2024 and children with a specific medical risk condition born on or after the same date.
Further details about infant RSV immunisation and maternal RSV vaccination are available from the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
