8. DVA — Veteran Gold Card — covers clinically necessary treatment for all medical conditions. dva.gov.au.
9. DVA — Providing treatment to DVA clients. dva.gov.au.
Editorial independence: This page was written and fact-checked independently by AskMyGP (Digital Treasure Pty Ltd). No pharmaceutical company has had editorial input into, reviewed, or approved this content, and none has requested or received brand preference. Both RSV vaccines registered for adult use in Australia (Arexvy and Abrysvo) are described with equal prominence, consistent with ATAGI guidance that there is no brand preference for adults aged 60 and over. See our Editorial Independence & Funding policy.
💰 Is the RSV vaccine free for me?
Tap your situation for a quick guide to what’s funded. General information only — your GP confirms what’s right for you.
↑ Select your situation to see what’s funded.
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Free on the NIP. A single dose of Arexvy — the RSV vaccine the National Immunisation Program funds for this group (Abrysvo is funded in pregnancy only). Ask your GP or pharmacist; your GP can talk through timing and your health.
Free on the NIP for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 60 and over. A single dose. Ask your GP, Aboriginal Medical Service, or pharmacist.
Recommended if you’re 60–74 with a condition that raises your RSV risk — but not NIP-funded, so it’s a private purchase (~$280–$350), single dose. Your GP can advise whether it’s worthwhile for you.
You can consider it — your risk is lower than someone 75+. Not NIP-funded (private ~$280–$350, single dose). Worth a chat with your GP about whether it’s right for you.
Abrysvo — free on the NIP, from 28 weeks (ideally before 36 weeks), in every pregnancy. It protects your baby for up to 6 months after birth. Arexvy is not used in pregnancy. Talk to your GP or midwife about timing.
Gold Card: covered as clinically necessary treatment — no out-of-pocket cost. White Card: covered if it’s for an accepted condition (e.g. a respiratory or cardiac condition). See the DVA section below, or call DVA on 1800 838 372.
This is general information, not personal medical advice — your GP confirms what’s right for you.
What is RSV?
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that causes cold-like symptoms in most healthy adults. In older adults, very young infants, and people with underlying health conditions, RSV can cause serious lower respiratory tract infection — pneumonia or bronchiolitis — requiring hospitalisation.
RSV is one of the leading causes of respiratory hospitalisation in adults aged 75 and over in Australia. Unlike influenza, there was no vaccine available for adults until 2024.
• Adults aged 75 years and over — Free on the NIP • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 60 and over — Free on the NIP • Adults aged 60–74 with medical conditions that increase risk of severe RSV disease — Not NIP funded — private ~$280–$350
Can consider — discuss with your GP
• Adults aged 60–74 without risk factors — lower risk than those 75+, but may still benefit
Recommended in pregnancy (to protect your baby)
• Pregnant women from 28 weeks gestation (ideally before 36 weeks) — the antibodies cross the placenta and protect the newborn for up to 6 months. Free under the NIP.
Medical conditions that increase risk of severe RSV disease in adults 60–74:
Pregnancy — from 28 weeks, ideally before 36 (free under NIP)
✅ Only RSV vaccine approved in pregnancy
Single IM dose. No adjuvant.
ℹ️ For adults aged 60 and over: ATAGI states there is no brand preference — either Arexvy or Abrysvo may be used. Your GP or clinic will advise on availability. Protection lasts at least 2 years; the need for further doses has not yet been established.
Single intramuscular injection in the upper arm. Takes about 10 minutes at your GP clinic.
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Effectiveness: Clinical trials showed Arexvy was about 83% effective against RSV-related lower respiratory tract disease in the first season; Abrysvo showed similar efficacy. Protection lasts at least 2 years.
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Can be given at the same time as influenza, COVID-19, and pneumococcal vaccines.
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No specific season requirement — can be given year-round, though vaccinating before the winter RSV season (March–August) is preferable.
Side effects
Common (usually mild, resolve within a few days): Injection site pain, redness, or swelling; fatigue; headache; muscle aches; fever.
Rare but important: A very small possible risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has been noted internationally in people aged 60 and over, based on overseas data. No GBS cases have been reported in Australia to date. Your GP will discuss risks and benefits with you. TGA safety information ↗
RSV is most serious in very young babies. In Australia a baby can be protected in one of two ways — and most babies are covered by the first.
1. During pregnancy (the main way)
A dose of Abrysvo from 28 weeks (ideally before 36) lets your antibodies cross the placenta and protect your baby for up to 6 months after birth. Free on the NIP. If you had it in time, your baby usually needs nothing further.
2. A dose for the baby (nirsevimab / Beyfortus)
A long-acting antibody given to the baby (not a vaccine you get in pregnancy), usually in the first 8 months of life. For babies not protected through pregnancy — if you weren’t vaccinated, or had it less than 2 weeks before birth — or for babies and young children (up to 2 years) with a health condition that raises their RSV risk. One dose protects for at least 5 months. Eligible babies are often offered it before leaving the birthing hospital; if not, your GP or immunisation provider can give it.
✅ A baby born to a parent who was vaccinated in time usually doesn’t need the extra nirsevimab dose — though a small number still may, so your GP or midwife will let you know.
Is it free?
The pregnancy vaccine (Abrysvo) is free on the NIP, which is linked to Medicare eligibility. Nirsevimab for babies is different: it isn’t funded nationally — it’s provided free through state and territory programs that vary by where you live. Worth knowing: in some states (for example Queensland) eligibility for the baby’s nirsevimab dose isn’t linked to Medicare status, even though the NIP vaccines are — so check your own state’s rules. For Queensland, see Queensland-funded vaccines. For NSW, see NSW-funded vaccines. For other states, see free vaccines by state.
Other states and territories run their own infant nirsevimab programs, and eligibility and dates change each season. Ask your GP, midwife or child health nurse, or your state or territory health department, for what applies to you. This is general information, not personal medical advice.
The DVA Gold Card covers clinically necessary treatment for all medical conditions — not just service-related ones. The RSV vaccine is clinically necessary treatment for an eligible medical condition, and is covered under the Gold Card. Show your Gold Card at your GP clinic. No out-of-pocket cost.
⚠️ White Card
The DVA White Card covers treatment for accepted service-related conditions only. The RSV vaccine may be covered if you have an accepted respiratory or cardiac condition on your White Card (e.g. COPD, chronic lung disease, heart failure). Check your accepted conditions list in MyService, or call DVA on 1800 838 372.
Yes, once you have recovered. Natural RSV infection does not provide long-lasting immunity. The vaccine is still recommended after recovery from RSV infection. Source: Australian Immunisation Handbook ↗
No — currently RSV vaccination is a single dose. Clinical data shows protection for at least 2 years. The need for re-vaccination has not yet been established. This may change as longer-term data becomes available. Your GP will advise based on current recommendations.
No booster is currently recommended. If you have already had an RSV vaccine (Arexvy or Abrysvo) — including one you paid for before the free program started on 15 May 2026 — there is no recommendation for another dose, even if you are now in a group that can get it free. Protection lasts at least 2 years, and the advice will be updated if longer-term data show a booster is needed. Your GP can check your immunisation history for the date and brand of your earlier dose. Source: NCIRS RSV FAQs ↗; Australian Immunisation Handbook ↗
Abrysvo only — from 28 weeks gestation, ideally before 36 weeks. Free under the NIP. Arexvy must NOT be given during pregnancy. The antibodies you produce are passed to your baby through the placenta, protecting them for up to 6 months after birth. If you reach 36 weeks without it, you can and should still have it as soon as possible — though given less than 2 weeks before delivery it provides your baby less protection.
If maternal RSV vaccination wasn't possible, or the baby was born less than 2 weeks after vaccination, infants may be eligible for nirsevimab (Beyfortus) — a long-acting monoclonal antibody that provides direct RSV protection. Eligibility varies by state. Ask your GP or midwife. Source: Dept of Health ↗
⚠ This page provides general information only — not personal medical advice. Whether the RSV vaccine is right for you depends on your age, health conditions, and individual circumstances. Speak with your GP before deciding on any vaccination.