1
00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,520
Speaker 1: Pregnant women and newborn babies are now going to be

2
00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:07,720
Speaker 1: able to access free vaccines for RSV from next year

3
00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:11,520
Speaker 1: after the federal government committed to invest one hundred and

4
00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,600
Speaker 1: seventy four point five million dollars in the vaccine under

5
00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:20,119
Speaker 1: the National Immunization Program. The vaccine, which is currently only

6
00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,600
Speaker 1: available to women in the late stages of pregnancy, costs

7
00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,360
Speaker 1: about three hundred and fifty dollars. Now joining us on

8
00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,360
Speaker 1: the line to tell us more is nt Health pediatrician

9
00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,839
Speaker 1: doctor Bianca Middleton, Good morning to your doctor.

10
00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:36,280
Speaker 2: Good morning Katie Lannie.

11
00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:38,919
Speaker 1: Yeah, lovely to have you on the show. Now, firstly,

12
00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,720
Speaker 1: remind us all what RSV is.

13
00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, So, RSB is a really common infection in our

14
00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,320
Speaker 2: community and it can infect people of all ages. So

15
00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,200
Speaker 2: it typically causes infection of the nose, throat, and Lunths

16
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,680
Speaker 2: and adults might experience as a common cold. But RSB

17
00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,000
Speaker 2: infection can be really serious when it infects tiney little babies,

18
00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,160
Speaker 2: particularly newborn babies and those under six months. So when

19
00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,360
Speaker 2: little tiny babies get RSBE, they often get a fever,

20
00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,960
Speaker 2: runny nose, cough, wheeze, and sometimes they can have difficulty

21
00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:09,920
Speaker 2: with their breathing so much that they need to go

22
00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:11,960
Speaker 2: to the hospital to get some support.

23
00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,080
Speaker 1: And how do you sort of differentiate whether it's just

24
00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,039
Speaker 1: a bad flu as a parent, I mean, obviously you know,

25
00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:19,280
Speaker 1: doctor Middleton.

26
00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:24,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's really tricky. So we really tell parents, but

27
00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:26,360
Speaker 2: you know when they're worried because your colds are so

28
00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:28,959
Speaker 2: common in their empty all year round and often in

29
00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,080
Speaker 2: the wet season two. So we really tell us pants

30
00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:33,399
Speaker 2: to keep an eye and the kids, they keep an

31
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,320
Speaker 2: eye on their temperature, keep an eye on their breathing.

32
00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,520
Speaker 2: If they're breathing really fast, it look like they're huffing

33
00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:40,360
Speaker 2: and puffing, like they've just run around a footy oval,

34
00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,319
Speaker 2: but they're just sitting there, sitting there with you in

35
00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,480
Speaker 2: their arms. They would be worried about fast breathing and

36
00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,480
Speaker 2: heavy breathing. We're either really interested to know if kids

37
00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:49,360
Speaker 2: are a lursh or if they're drowsy. So if they're

38
00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,000
Speaker 2: sitting there smiling and interacting and looking at their parents

39
00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,200
Speaker 2: and their grandparents and their siblings, that's really reassuring. But

40
00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,000
Speaker 2: a sleepy child that's a bit too sick to engage

41
00:01:58,040 --> 00:01:59,680
Speaker 2: is a bit of a worry for us. And we're

42
00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,680
Speaker 2: always it's really interested in how much little babies are drinking,

43
00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,000
Speaker 2: so how many bottles or how much breast milk they've had,

44
00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,840
Speaker 2: and importantly how many wet nappies. So sometimes when babies

45
00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,000
Speaker 2: are sick with colds and there's snuffily, they find it

46
00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,480
Speaker 2: really hard to drink. So I there's there any concern

47
00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:14,519
Speaker 2: that they're not getting in enough wood and most importantly

48
00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,959
Speaker 2: not having enough wet nappies, usually babies that have five

49
00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:18,840
Speaker 2: or six a day, and then they'd all be real

50
00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,680
Speaker 2: triggered for parents to go and see their GP or

51
00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,360
Speaker 2: if they're really worried, to go into the emergency department.

52
00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,680
Speaker 1: And doctor Middleton. Is it quite common here in the

53
00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,880
Speaker 1: Northern Territory? RSV Absolutely so.

54
00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,600
Speaker 2: RSV so I'm biased because I'm a pediatrician, so I

55
00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,760
Speaker 2: work to piles. But RSB is actually the leading core

56
00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,320
Speaker 2: of the possibilization for really young children, particularly young children

57
00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,360
Speaker 2: under six months, and that's true all over Australia, but

58
00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,600
Speaker 2: particularly true here in the NTO. Pediatricians we're so excited

59
00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,920
Speaker 2: about this, this announcement of wealth give to pregnant women

60
00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,120
Speaker 2: which will protect them, especially those tiny, little young babies

61
00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,080
Speaker 2: who are being born from RSV.

62
00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,760
Speaker 1: Oh you worry so much about them as well with

63
00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:03,079
Speaker 1: their tiny little bay Yes, really, yeah, anything you can

64
00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,680
Speaker 1: do to protect them. So well, how big a difference

65
00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,120
Speaker 1: is this going to make from your perspective?

66
00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,720
Speaker 2: So we think we are really excited as Pediutritians because

67
00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:13,960
Speaker 2: we think this is going to be really fantastic for

68
00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,200
Speaker 2: the help of all babies, but including babies here in

69
00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:20,359
Speaker 2: the NT. The vaccine's already been available in some locations overseas,

70
00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,040
Speaker 2: so particularly in Europe and Northern America, and they've seen

71
00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,760
Speaker 2: up to US seventy percent reduction in hospitalizations for children

72
00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,280
Speaker 2: with RSC. So that's massive numbers. That suggests that the

73
00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,120
Speaker 2: vaccine is a really good vaccine and giving it to

74
00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,600
Speaker 2: the mum is really providing protection for those little babies

75
00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:36,000
Speaker 2: in the first few months of life.

76
00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:38,320
Speaker 1: So do you have much detail at this point in

77
00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,840
Speaker 1: time where people can access those vaccines or any of

78
00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:43,320
Speaker 1: that detail yet?

79
00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely so at the moment, even here in Dwen,

80
00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,640
Speaker 2: the vaccine is available on the private market. You know,

81
00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,200
Speaker 2: BEATGPA about that, but but it's expensive. It costs up

82
00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,320
Speaker 2: to three hundred dollars and so what the Commonwealth government

83
00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,480
Speaker 2: has announced it from early next year. We don't know

84
00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:00,480
Speaker 2: the exact date yet, but for early next year, the

85
00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,440
Speaker 2: vaccine will be available as part of the National Immunization Program,

86
00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,960
Speaker 2: which means it will be free for all pregnant women

87
00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:08,440
Speaker 2: and for pregnant women who are between twenty eight to

88
00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:10,800
Speaker 2: thirty six weeks of their pregnancy then they'll be eligible

89
00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:11,800
Speaker 2: to get this vaccine.

90
00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,080
Speaker 1: Well, that certainly seems you go, sorry.

91
00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:16,760
Speaker 2: I know if the eligible to get the back the

92
00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:18,920
Speaker 2: EIDUS through their DP or you know, all through their

93
00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:21,320
Speaker 2: anti natal care or through community health, so all the

94
00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,560
Speaker 2: usual places that pregnant will get their vaccines, particularly potassas

95
00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,400
Speaker 2: and flue. They'll also be able to get RSC vaccine

96
00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,040
Speaker 2: as well. So that's really excellent news for all months exactly.

97
00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:32,000
Speaker 2: Mums here in the MT.

98
00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:33,680
Speaker 1: Well, it sounds like it could be a bit of

99
00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,880
Speaker 1: a game changer as well in terms of all of

100
00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:38,680
Speaker 1: those babies coming in under See.

101
00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, you know, like I think, yeah, we may

102
00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:43,600
Speaker 2: be wondering what to do with that time, but it's

103
00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,160
Speaker 2: really you know, it's really last for us. It's really

104
00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,760
Speaker 2: distressing to see kind of little baby, you know, struggling

105
00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,160
Speaker 2: to breathe. It's distressing for parents, and it's distressing for

106
00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:53,839
Speaker 2: us as pediatrician, and you know, and all the beautiful

107
00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,120
Speaker 2: ped nurses will work with us anything that we do

108
00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,919
Speaker 2: to prevent that infection. Yeah, is really great.

109
00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:03,000
Speaker 1: Now absolutely, you know. You know, my kids are much

110
00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,440
Speaker 1: older now, but when they're babies and they get really sick,

111
00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:09,039
Speaker 1: you worry so much about them and seeing their little

112
00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,160
Speaker 1: chest sort of con cave as well when they're breathing

113
00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,480
Speaker 1: when they get that unwill it's it's heartbreaking.

114
00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,120
Speaker 2: That's right. And little babies are tiny and they're precious

115
00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,080
Speaker 2: and they don't have that much reserve and they're little

116
00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,400
Speaker 2: airways are narrow, so it's easy to think them to

117
00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,160
Speaker 2: get blocked, so they're Yeah, definitely those those that are

118
00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:27,719
Speaker 2: most risk of getting sick from the RSB, which is

119
00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:29,920
Speaker 2: really common, and definitely the ones that we're keen keen

120
00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:30,600
Speaker 2: to most.

121
00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:35,719
Speaker 1: Protect well int Health Pediatrician Doctor Biancha Middleton, lovely to

122
00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:37,880
Speaker 1: speak to you today. Thank you so much for giving

123
00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:38,760
Speaker 1: us some more detail

124
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,720
Speaker 2: No problem, Thanks so much, Katie, Thank you