New vaccine approved for highly-infectious respiratory illness

epa11064368 A man gets the flu vaccine administered at a health center in Valencia, Spain, 08 January 2024. Flu, Covid and RSV illnesses are on the surge in Europe. The Spanish Government is to decide whether or not to reinstate the mandatory use of masks at hospitals and health centers to avoid a bigger spread. EPA/BIEL ALINO Source: EFE / BIEL ALINO/EPA

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A vaccine to combat a highly infectious respiratory disease has been approved for use in Australia for the first time. The A-R-E-X-V-Y vaccine will be available for those aged 60 and over privately to prevent the respiratory syncytial virus.

Respiratory syncytial virus, or more commonly known as R-S-V, is a common and highly contagious disease which can infect their airways and lungs.

It often causes mild to moderate illness in younger people, with symptoms including a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever and aches.

Now, for the first time, a vaccine to combat the respiratory disease has been approved for use in Australia.

Although R-S-V is mostly associated with young children, more than 27,000 older Australians were diagnosed with the highly infectious disease last year.