Originally published: The National Tribune, 15 July 2026
One million older Aussies miss out on RSV protection Not too late to vaccinate as RSV cases eclipse influenza and COVID
This winter, more than one million elderly Australians have prioritised influenza vaccination, but remain exposed and unprotected against the most common respiratory virus now circulating in the community – RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).1,2
Just 722,530 older Australians (those aged 75 years or over and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 60 years or over) have received the free RSV vaccine this year, compared to 1.76 million of the same age groups who have had their flu shot, according to a Mid-Winter RSV Report Card by the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA).2
Ms Hughes noted that an IFA poll of 1,000 older Australians found almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents did not know that RSV and flu vaccines can be given at the same time – a knowledge gap that may be leaving many unprotected.3
3 Immunisation Foundation of Austalia. RSV in Older Adults: Awareness and Attitudes. Pureprofile, n=1,011. May 2026.
