AMA’s Ross River vaccine hope

There is light at the end of the tunnel for people who live in fear of the debilitating Ross River virus as a vaccine reaches its third and final stage.

Australian Medical Association WA president Richard Choong said the vaccine would be good news for local residents.

“Ross River virus has such a high prevalence in this area — we are still seeing cases of Ross River and Barmah Forrest every week,” he said.

“We would normally see it later in the year or earlier, not so much heading towards winter, but we have had a spate of unseasonal warm weather and high humidity so the mosquitoes rose again.

“It will be good news for people in this area because although Ross River isn’t life threatening it is definitely debilitating.”

Dr Choong said symptoms included fever, rash, joint pain and ongoing stints of tiredness.

He said the vaccine was now in the final stages of trial before it could be taken to the market.

Dr Choong tipped a vaccine approval would be more than two years away.

“It is good news we have come so far along the development pathway already,” he said.

“I certainly hope that it works — it would be a good vaccine for people to have but we need to know whether it is safe, whether it is efficient and how effective it is.”

Until a vaccine is available, Dr Choong recommended people in mosquito-prone zones be aware, avoid dusk and dawn, and wear repellent.