Each winter, thousands of New Zealand infants are hospitalised with a virus that much of the developed world has already learned to prevent. Respiratory syncytial virus — RSV — strikes hardest among Māori and Pacific babies, whose families carry a disproportionate share of a burden that is both predictable and, by now, well within reach of prevention. While Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and much of Europe have woven RSV immunisation into their national programmes, New Zealand remains in deliberation, held back not by insufficient evidence but by insufficient urgency.
NZ lags behind on RSV infant protection despite proven 90% hospitalization reduction
Approximately 1,800-2,000 children under five are hospitalised annually with RSV in New Zealand, with Māori and Pacific infants experiencing disproportionate disease burden.