ATAGI Targeted Review 2024: Immunisation strategies for prevention and control of respiratory syncytial virus disease in Australia

Authors

  • Dr Chisato Imai-Boulter National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Dr Jean Li-Kim-Moy National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Dr Jocelynne McRae School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Dr Clayton Chiu National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Dr Sanjay Jayasinghe National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Prof. Kristine Macartney National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
  • Dr Katherine Gibney Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
  • Ms Karen Bellamy Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; Monash Health, South East Public Health Unit, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
  • Ms Kristy Cooper Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
  • Prof. Katie Flanagan Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, Launceston General Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia; Faculty of Health Sciences and School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia; School of Health and Biomedical Science, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • Prof. Michelle Giles Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • Dr Julia Marshall Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • Dr Nicholas Silberstein Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; Equinox Gender Diverse Health Centre, Thorne Harbour Health, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
  • A/Prof. Benjamin Teh Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • Dr Rosalind Webby Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; Centre for Disease Control & Environmental Health, NT Health, Northern Territory Government, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
  • Prof. Nigel W Crawford Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; Immunisation Services, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Infection and Immunity, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2026.50.034

Keywords:

respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), immunisation, Australia

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes lower respiratory tract infection and severe disease, particularly in infants, and is increasingly recognised as a cause of major morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Several new vaccines aim to address the disease burden at both extremes of the age spectrum. Immunisation using a long-acting monoclonal antibody is also available for infants and young children. In 2025, a comprehensive RSV maternal and infant protection program commenced with a nationally coordinated maternal RSV vaccination in pregnancy on the National Immunisation Program and long-acting monoclonal antibody for infants and children funded by states and territories.

This targeted review outlines the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’s considerations and the evidence informing policy decisions on an RSV prevention strategy for Australia. Review of the burden of RSV disease in Australia indicates specific populations which would derive the most benefit from effective immunisation, including the very young; the elderly; First Nations people; and those with underlying medical risk factors. However, some data gaps exist in our understanding of RSV disease, particularly non-hospitalised disease and disease in adult age groups. The available evidence points to promising efficacy, against severe RSV disease, of three RSV vaccines in older adults, as well as the single available vaccine for use in pregnancy for protecting infants in the first six months of life. A long-acting RSV-specific monoclonal antibody, nirsevimab, has been highly effective in young infants in early assessments; however, there is a need to accumulate more information as these products expand in use. For RSV vaccines, there is a need to monitor duration of protection and safety, to inform the need for repeat vaccine doses in older adults and in subsequent pregnancies. As RSV immunisation involves new vaccines and monoclonal antibodies, it is important that a robust program monitoring and evaluation plan is put in place, to optimise assessment of vaccine uptake, patient acceptance and the impact of the interventions on RSV disease, with appropriate safety monitoring to facilitate public confidence in the immunisation program.

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Dark and light blue shapes displaying the logo of Communicable Diseases Intelligence with a celebration graphic for Volume 50. The bottom of the cover features a lockup of the logo of the Australian Centre for Disease Control alongside the Commonwealth Coat of Arms.

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26/05/26

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Imai-Boulter, Chisato, Jean Li-Kim-Moy, Jocelynne McRae, Clayton Chiu, Sanjay Jayasinghe, Kristine Macartney, Katherine Gibney, et al. 2026. “ATAGI Targeted Review 2024: Immunisation Strategies for Prevention and Control of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease in Australia”. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 50 (May). https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2026.50.034.

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