Recommended medicines for your baby

In Australia, you will routinely be offered immunisations for your newborn baby at birth.

The decision to give your baby immunisations is yours, so it is a good idea to understand what they are for. Your signed consent will be required for any medicines that are to be given to your baby.

If you don’t understand why a treatment is recommended, please ask you midwife, obstetrician or paediatrician for more information or further explanation.

At Mater Mothers, we recommend that infants receive three medicines:

Vitamin K
Hepatitis B Vaccination and
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunisation

Vitamin K and your baby

Vitamin K is a substance that is naturally present in the body and plays an important part in helping blood clot. At birth, a baby has very low stores of vitamin K and these are quickly used up over the first few days of life.

Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) is a rare condition that affects 1 in 10 000 babies; but, if it occurs there may be serious consequences.

Mater Mothers' Hospitals recommend that vitamin K should be offered to all babies soon after birth, so that the levels of vitamin K are increased for the first few weeks of life to protect your baby against this disorder.

How is vitamin K given?

The easiest and most reliable way to give babies vitamin K is by injection. One injection just after birth will protect a baby for many months.

Since about 1980, most newborn babies in Australia have been given a vitamin K injection.

Vitamin K can also be given by mouth. Several oral doses are essential to give enough protection because vitamin K is not absorbed as well when it is given by mouth and the effect does not last as long.

For detailed information about vitamin K for your new baby please read the National Health and Medical Research Council publication: Vitamin K for newborn babies.

Hepatitis B Vaccination

Hepatitis B is an infection caused by the Hepatitis B virus. The virus can cause either acute (short-lived) or chronic (long-term) liver disease.

Although babies infected with this virus usually have either no or very mild symptoms, up to 90 per cent will go on to be chronically infected carriers of the virus.

People with hepatitis B can pass the virus on to others. Many carriers of Hepatitis B do not know they have the disease because they often will have few to no symptoms.

For detailed information about Hepatitis B for your new baby please read the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Hepatitis B vaccine resource: Hepatitis B vaccine | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunisation

RSV is the most common cause of hospitalisation in infants and young children, with almost all children experiencing at least one RSV infection within the first two years of life.

RSV is a virus that causes both upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Children under one year of age are more likely to experience serious disease requiring hospitalisation.

Immunisation is the best way to protect your newborn baby from RSV. The immunisation for RSV is Nirsevimab (brand name Beyfortus®). Nirsevimab is a medicine that contains antibodies that prevents serious disease in infants. These antibodies start working almost immediately to provide protection against RSV.

How is Nirsevimab given?

Nirsevimab is given as an intramuscular injection, just like most routine vaccines. This injection is usually given in the thigh. Depending on you babies weight at birth, they may require either one or two separate injections of Nirsevimab at the same time to be fully protected. Your health care provider will inform you of what your baby needs.

Nirsevimab can be safely given at the same time as the Vitamin K injection and Hepatitis B Vaccination.

For detailed information about RSV immunisation and your baby please see: Queensland Paediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prevention Program | Queensland Health.

Frequently Asked Questions about RSV Immunisation

What is RSV?

RSV is the most common cause of hospitalisation in infants and young children, with almost all children experiencing at least one RSV infection within the first two years of life.

RSV is a virus that causes both upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Children under one year of age are more likely to experience serious disease requiring hospitalisation.

Almost all children will have at least one RSV infection within the two years of life.

What is the RSV immunisation?

The RSV immunisation is not a vaccine. The RSV immunisation, Nirsevimab is a passive immunisation injection that gives the antibodies that provide almost immediate protection against severe RSV disease.

What is the QPRSVP Program?

The QPRSVP Program is focused on protecting infants from birth, as well as those at highest risk of severe disease in the first years of life.

The program will provide free Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunisation using the TGA-approved monoclonal antibody nirsevimab (brand name Beyfortus®) to protect Queensland infants and young children against RSV disease.

What is the Nirsevimab?

Nirsevimab (brand name Beyfortus®) is a medicine that contains antibodies that help to prevent severe RSV disease in infants.

Antibodies help the body fight off infection. These antibodies provide protection against RSV almost immediately after they are given.

Why is immunisation recommended at birth?

RSV is a common virus that can cause severe respiratory illnesses like bronchitis, bronchiolitis, or pneumonia. Infants and young children are most at risk of contracting RSV.

RSV is the most common cause of infants and young children being admitted to hospital.

Who is eligible to receive the RSV immunisation?

The following infants and young children will be eligible to be immunised against RSV:

All newborn infants. This immunisation will be offered at birth here at Mater Mothers’ Hospital.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants less than eight months of age.
Infants with certain complex medical conditions up to 19 months of age, until 31 October 2024.

Infants born on or after the program start date who were not immunised at birth, can still access RSV immunisation in the community until they turn eight months of age.

How is the immunisation recorded?

The RSV immunisation will be recorded in your baby’s Personal Health Record (red book).

Please ask at your birthing hospital where your babies RSV immunisation is being recorded.

What if I had the RSV immunisation in pregnancy?

There is currently limited information relating to infants who have received Nirsevimab after their birthing parent received an RSV vaccine. However, the available evidence does not suggest a higher risk of adverse events.

Infants less than eight months of age should still receive RSV immunisation if:

Their birthing parenting did not receive the RSV vaccination during pregnancy, or
Their birthing parent’s RSV vaccination status is unknown, or
The infant was born within 14 days of their birthing parents RSV vaccination.

Should my baby have Nirsevimab if they are premature?

Premature infants should receive Nirsevimab at their chronological age using the same guidance as full-term infants.

There is limited data available for use of Nirsevimab in extremely premature infants (infants born before 29weeks) less than eight weeks of age.

Infants with prolonged birth hospitalisations related to prematurity or other causes should receive Nirsevimab before discharge from hospital.

How many injections are given?

Nirsevimab is given as an intramuscular injection, just like most routine vaccines. This injection is usually given in the thigh. Depending on you babies weight at birth, they may require either one or two separate injections of Nirsevimab at the same time to be fully protected. If you baby is >5kgs at birth, they will require two injections at the same time to be fully protected.

Can Nirsevimab be given at the same time as other immunisations?

Nirsevimab can be safely given at the same time as the Vitamin K injection and Hepatitis B vaccination.

Nirsevimab can be administered at the same time as other childhood immunisations if you have chosen for your baby not to receive Nirsevimab at the time of birth.

Who should not be given Nirsevimab?

Infants who have moderate or severe acute illness, should wait until they recover.

Infants and children with a history of serious allergic reactions to any of Nirsevimab’s components. Components include histidine, histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, sucrose, arginine hydrochloride, polysorbate 80 and water for injection.

References

Australian Government, Department of Health, Therapeutic Goods Administration, Product and Consumer Medicine Information. (2023). BEYFORTUS: Australian Public Assessment Report for Beyfortus. Retrieved from https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/auspmd/beyfortus Viewed March 2024.
Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) Clinical Advice. (2023). Statement on the use of nirsevimab for prevention of severe disease due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants. Retrieved from https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/atagi-statement-on-nirsevimab-for-prevention-of-severe-disease-due-to-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-in-infants.pdf. Viewed March 2024.
Queensland Health. (2023). Immunisation Schedule Queensland. Retrieved from https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/diseases-infection/immunisation/schedule.Viewed March 2024.
Queensland Health. (2024). Queensland Paediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prevention Program. Retrieved from https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/diseases-infection/immunisation/paediatric-rsv-prevention-program/_recache. Viewed March 2024.
Queensland Government. (2022). Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) | Viral infections. Retrieved from https://www.qld.gov.au/health/condition/infections-and-parasites/viral-infections/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv. Viewed March 2024.