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Research Results

Strong backing for child virus vaccination

1 Sep 26

Credit: iStock
Strong backing for child virus vaccination
A child gets RSV vaccine

A Horizon Research public-interest survey finds 70% approve of publicly funding RSV immunisation for eligible infants, and vaccination during pregnancy. 9% disapprove.


RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) causes severe illness. High risk groups are:


    • Infants and Young Children
    • Older Adults (adults over 65 and particularly those 75 and older)
    • Immunocompromised Individuals (e.g. anyone with a weakened immune system from disease, medications, or medical treatments)
    • People with chronic health conditions (e.g. long-term heart failure, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or congenital heart problems).


Around 1,800 to 2,000 infants and young children are hospitalised each year by severe RSV infections.


Horizon's survey of 1028 New Zealanders aged 18 or over was conducted in early August with the results weighted on age, gender, ethnicity, income, region and party vote 2023 to match the New Zealand adult population.


Currently monthly RSV injections are available for some preganant women and infants. However, a longer-acting vaccine is available and being used in other countries, including Australia.


Only 6% of respondents to the Horizon survey were unsure if they approved nor disapproved of making the vaccine free.



  • Party voters for the National Party at the 2023 general election were significantly more likely than average to approve of the introduction of publicly funded RSV immunisation.  However, party voters for the other two parties in the coalition Government were significantly less likely to approve and New Zealand First voters were significantly more likely than average to disapprove.


  • In contrast, 2023 voters for both the Labour Party and the Green Party were significantly more likely than average to approve of the introduction of publicly funded RSV immunisation.


Awareness lifts approval


In general (as indicated by the following table), the more people know about RSV, the more they support the introduction of publicly funded RSV immunisation in New Zealand for eligible infants and vaccination during pregnancy.


Expert commentary


In a Radio New Zealand report on the survey's results Waikato Hospital neonatal paediatrician Dr Jutta Van den Boom told Morning Report, she supported publicly funding vaccination to help protect the most vulnerable.


Babies and toddlers with RSV were more likely to need hospital admission, she said, due to breathing difficulties, needing oxygen and tube feeding as it became difficult for them to feed as normal.


She said there had been roll-outs of public vaccination in many countries in the last couple of years, including Australia which had a roll-out in 2022. She said this had led to a reduction in hospital admissions for RSV.


Having a child in hospital was hard for any family, Van den Boom said, and it meant parents might not be able to work as they need to be in the hospital also, or in some cases, the child would be on their own looked after by nurses as parents couldn't stay.


There was an antibody injection called Nirsevimab, which protected babies and young children from RSV, she said, which could be given once per season that she wanted to see funded.


"Nirsevimab together with a vaccination for pregnant mothers which could be rolled out in a two-prong approach," she said.


Van den Boom said MedSafe had approved Nirsevimab, but it was now waiting on public funding through Pharmac.


There was a meeting this month to consider it and it she hoped it would be made a high priority for the next winter season.


Pharmac's chief medical officer, Dr David Hughes, told Morning Report in a statement, one medicine used to prevent RSV has been funded since May 2022 for high-risk infants.


He could not give a timeframe around a funding decision.


The Conversation has also published an article on Horizon's survey findings, and the lack of decision on funding RSV vaccination for children.


Free full report


The Horizon report on the survey is available

here.



Results tables are available from Horizon Research, email manager@horizonresearch.co.nz


Horizon regularly conducts surveys as part of its public-interest research programme - to help ensure New Zealanders are heard by those making decision which affect them.