RSV is responsible for the majority of bronchiolitis cases in Australian infants and sends thousands of children to hospital each year. Yet the acute illness is only part of the story. Mounting epidemiological and biological evidence links severe early-life RSV infection with recurrent wheezing and childhood asthma — a connection that is still debated in terms of causality but is increasingly hard to ignore in clinical practice. At the same time, a new prevention landscape has arrived: NIP-funded maternal RSV vaccination and long-acting monoclonal antibodies now offer genuine primary prevention opportunities that sit squarely within the GP's scope. 

This educational video provides Australian GPs and Nurse Practitioners with a clinically grounded, evidence-based framework for understanding the RSV–asthma relationship, implementing current immunoprophylaxis guidelines, counselling families on long-term respiratory risk, and managing the post-RSV child in general practice. 

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe the epidemiological and biological evidence linking severe early-life RSV infection with childhood asthma development, referencing key Australian data. 
2. Differentiate the 'marker hypothesis' from the 'causal hypothesis' in the RSV–asthma debate and apply this distinction to parent and carer counselling. 
3. Appraise current Australian guidelines (ATAGI and state/territory programs) for maternal RSV vaccination and monoclonal antibody prophylaxis.
4. Formulate evidence-based management plans for infants and children with recurrent post-viral wheeze following RSV infection, including referral criteria and thresholds for initiating preventative asthma therapy. 
5. Identify Australian populations at highest risk of severe RSV disease and long-term respiratory sequelae, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and those with relevant comorbidities. 

This activity has Reviewing Performance and Measuring Outcomes activities available by clicking the RP and MO buttons above

Provider

The Provider of this activity is Praxhub. Praxhub is an authorised Provider of education under the RACGP CPD Program. For any questions regarding this webinar please contact support@praxhub.com.