As Australia heads toward the final stretch of winter, public health authorities are sounding a clear alarm: a highly contagious, cold-like respiratory virus is spreading at record-breaking rates, surpassing both COVID-19 and influenza to become the country’s dominant seasonal respiratory illness this year. As of this week, official data from the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA) and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) shows more than 83,000 confirmed cases of respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, have already been logged across the nation. By comparison, confirmed COVID-19 cases sit at just over 51,000, while influenza has infected nearly 50,000 Australians this winter.
With an average of 890 new confirmed RSV cases reported daily since winter began, national projections show Australia is on track to exceed 127,000 total cases by the time winter draws to a close. While RSV often causes mild, cold-like symptoms similar to influenza or COVID-19, it poses severe life-altering risks to the most vulnerable groups: infants and older adults with weakened immune systems. For these populations, the infection can quickly progress to serious lower respiratory tract complications, making RSV the leading cause of preventable hospitalisation for both young children and senior Australians.
Australia launched a national free RSV vaccination program in recent years, expanding eligibility to cover high-risk groups in incremental steps. Since February 2025, the vaccine has been available at no cost to pregnant people, and starting in May 2026, all Australians aged 75 and older became eligible for free doses. The program for infants has already delivered dramatic, positive results: since it launched nationwide in 2024, it has cut infant RSV hospital admissions by 70% during autumn and early winter, protecting more than 360,000 babies and preventing thousands of critical care admissions.
“The fact that more than 700,000 vulnerable older Australians received the RSV vaccine in the first two months of the vaccination program is an outstanding effort by the community and immunisation providers,” said IFA founder and executive director Catherine Hughes. Despite this early progress, a major gap in protection remains: more than one million eligible older Australians have yet to get their free jab. Hughes noted that rollout timing created an unintended barrier, as the vaccine was not widely available in April and early May, when most seniors typically get their annual flu shot, leaving many people unaware they are still unprotected.
“However, there is still a massive gap in RSV vaccination coverage and an urgent need for older adults to roll up their sleeves,” Hughes added.
AMA president Dr. Danielle McMullen echoed this call to action, emphasizing that the vaccine is a simple, effective tool to cut the risk of serious illness and hospitalisation this winter. “With so many Australians yet to be protected against RSV, it’s essential that people speak to a healthcare professional about RSV protection. Now is the time to act – winter is far from over,” Dr. McMullen said. “Getting protected against RSV is an incredibly simple yet effective way to help prevent serious illness and stay out of hospital.”
Eligible Australians can access their free RSV vaccine through participating general practitioners, local pharmacies, and community health centres, with public health officials stressing that getting vaccinated now can still prevent severe illness as cases continue to climb through the end of winter.