Who is eligible for the free RSV vaccine in Australia?

Australians aged 75 and over who hold or are eligible for a Medicare card. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 60 and over are also eligible. For those aged 65 to 74, the RSV vaccine is not yet on the NIP and remains privately funded.

Where can eligible Australians get the free RSV vaccine?

At a GP, participating pharmacy, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service, or community immunisation clinic. Ideally before mid-June for optimal winter protection, though the program continues year-round.

RSV vaccine Arexvy® is now free for Australians 75 and over

What just happened

From 15 May 2026, the RSV vaccine Arexvy® became free under the National Immunisation Program for Australians aged 75 and over. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are eligible from age 60. The federal government invested $445.3 million in this NIP listing — meaning a vaccine that previously cost around $300 out of pocket is now available at no cost from GPs, pharmacies, Aboriginal health services, and community immunisation clinics.

RSV is a disease that does not get much press. It does not have the cultural profile of influenza. It does not have the policy urgency that COVID acquired in 2020. But respiratory syncytial virus sends thousands of older Australians to hospital each winter, and the disease course in people over 75 is frequently severe: weeks of fatigue, secondary bacterial pneumonia as a common complication, and in some cases, lasting reduction in baseline lung function. For an 80-year-old who was already managing borderline breathlessness, an RSV winter can shift functional capacity in a way that does not fully reverse.

If you have a parent or grandparent who spent part of last winter with a chest infection that took longer than expected to resolve — or who was hospitalised with a lower respiratory illness that nobody pinned to a specific pathogen — RSV may have been part of the picture. It is rarely tested for in general practice, which means it frequently goes unlabelled, and its burden is routinely underestimated by both patients and clinicians.

The NIP listing changes the access equation for eligible Australians. The vaccine is now free.

The both-and

This is a meaningful public health step — and the threshold matters.

The RACGP welcomed the NIP listing in April 2026, describing it as “good progress.” That welcome is appropriate. This winter, older Australians who qualify have access to three free respiratory vaccines: influenza (reformulated annually), COVID-19 (updated formulation), and now RSV. That is a different disease-risk environment from anything that existed two years ago.

The threshold is 75. Not 65.

People aged 65 to 74 are at elevated risk from winter viruses and are encouraged to stay current with influenza and COVID-19 vaccination, which remain free for them under other NIP provisions. But RSV vaccination in this age group remains privately funded — at approximately $300 — because the cost-effectiveness modelling used by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee currently justifies the NIP threshold at 75-plus, not 65-plus.

The clinical case for extending the threshold to 65 is being argued in several comparable countries. Australia’s PBAC framework is what it is; the listing is still a genuine step. Holding both: meaningful progress for the 75-plus cohort, an ongoing gap for the 65-to-74 window.

One thing worth naming for anyone booking an appointment: timing before the peak winter season matters. RSV activity typically peaks in June through August in southeastern Australia. Ideally, vaccination occurs before mid-June to allow the immune response to develop ahead of peak viral circulation. The vaccine does not need to be on the same day as the flu shot, but can be given at the same visit with an eligible person’s influenza vaccine — ask the practice to check eligibility and logistics.

2 cents

If you have a parent or relative aged 75 and over, three vaccines are either free or already on their schedule this winter: influenza, COVID-19, and now RSV. The conversation worth having is not “which one” — it is “have you had all three, and are you current?”

Flu and COVID vaccines require annual updates and vary in formulation year to year. The RSV vaccine is new to the free schedule — which means many eligible Australians have not had it yet and may not know it is available.

The booking is simple. A GP practice can check NIP eligibility in the one visit and batch winter vaccines together where possible. If your parent prefers a pharmacy, many participating pharmacies hold all three. The only constraint is stock and appointment timing — earlier in May and June is better than late July.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 60 and over: free RSV access begins a full 15 years earlier than for the general population. This reflects documented differential health risk and is the NIP doing what it is designed to do: allocate access based on actual risk burden rather than a single uniform national age threshold.

This is general information. Vaccine eligibility, timing, and the specific considerations for people taking immunosuppressive medications or with prior respiratory conditions are all details for your GP.

Verdict

Verdict: yes — worth knowing about.

From 15 May 2026, RSV vaccination is free for Australians 75 and over. The $445 million NIP listing removes a $300 cost barrier for more than two million eligible older Australians. The threshold is 75, not 65 — the 65-to-74 window remains privately funded. For families with elderly parents heading into winter: the triple of influenza, COVID-19, and RSV is now achievable in one GP visit at no cost. Book before mid-June.