Pregnant women between 29 and 36 weeks are now able to access free vaccinations against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), an initiative which aims to prevent newborns requiring hospitalisation and save families hundreds of dollars.

Caitlyn Dyer’s infant son Hector was hospitalised for six days after contracting RSV at just eight months old.

He needed an oxygen tube and a feeding tube.

She believes having access to the vaccine during her pregnancy may have avoided the ordeal.

“It wasn’t something that was sort of readily available when I was pregnant with Hector but if it was something that I could have had I would have.”

Expectant mothers previously had to pay around $300 to be immunised.

The anticipated impact of the vaccine rollout is substantial, with the number of newborns requiring hospitalisation due to RSV infection expected to steadily fall, possibly by up to 70 per cent.