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Although this subject has received a lot of recent press coverage, we thought it would be useful to briefly summarise the position again.
Our Nollamara child care centre will be happy to recommend other official sources of information where required.

How does RSV affect children and a child care centre?

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous virus that affects the respiratory system. It is very common in younger children 0-36 months and can also be prevalent in older people or those with compromised immune systems due to other illnesses or medications.
The symptoms can include wheezing, coughing, irregular breathing, a runny nose and a typically mild fever. Some children have fairly mild symptoms and relatively quickly throw the illness off but for some, complications may arise leading to a lower respiratory tract infection and illnesses such as bronchiolitis and croup.
Around 60,000 deaths are attributed each year to RSV around the globe but given that almost all young children will contract it, this means that the mortality rate is very low but the illness can still be regarded as being potentially serious, sometimes resulting in hospitalisation. Most deaths arise in countries and locations where access to medical care is limited.

Infection

RSV is relatively robust and can survive on surfaces for some hours. Infection by direct contact between people is common. Any locations where people are congregating or have been, is a potential infection risk.
That includes homes, shops, churches, restaurants, sports events, family gatherings, schools and of course, child care centres.

Treatment

In most cases, little treatment is required other than minor medications to treat the symptoms. In hospitalisation cases, oxygen may be required and depending upon the severity of the symptoms, the medical staff may use various other drugs and medications to help but most of these will be to treat secondary symptoms of the infection.
Antibiotics have no effect on a virus but they may be used to treat any secondary bacteriological infections that have arisen as a result of the RSV.
In a very few cases, intubation and full breathing support may be required but that is fortunately rare.

Prevention

Since early 2025, vaccinations against RSV have been available in Western Australia. These come in two generic forms:

• vaccinations for pregnant women, with the benefits being transmitted to the unborn child;
• vaccination for infants at an early age.

If a mother has had the vaccine before birth, the child typically does not require its own separate immunisation.
We are not qualified to offer medical advice but we recognise that for some people, vaccination is controversial. We strongly recommend a consultation with your doctor during pregnancy on this subject is advisable.

Summary

For any parent, seeing their young child unwell is a deeply distressing experience. RSV can make some children very poorly and where possible, it should be prevented.