Free shots that can protect babies from respiratory syncytial virus are being offered by some health-care providers in Ontario and the Northwest Territories.
The RSV immunization program designed to protect infants from severe illness during their first respiratory virus season will also begin in Quebec on Nov. 4, as well as in Nunavut and Yukon, although those two territories have not announced an official start date.
The new shot called Nirsevimab — also known by the brand name Beyfortus — gives babies antibodies that provide passive immunity to RSV, a major cause of serious lower respiratory tract infections for infants and seniors, which can cause bronchiolitis or pneumonia.
It will be offered in hospitals when babies are born, as well as in doctor's offices.
Ontario's Ministry of Health said its full supply of Nirsevimab will arrive by the end of this month and that all infants up to 12 months old are eligible to receive the shot.
In Quebec, babies born on or after April 2 of this year are eligible.
A spokesperson for the N.W.T. health authority said it recommended RSV immunization for "all infants who are ages 0 to 3 months at the start of this season ... as well as all babies who are born during RSV season."
In N.W.T., the RSV season runs from November to May, the spokesperson said in an email.
Older babies who have already been through their first RSV season but are more vulnerable to severe illness will also be eligible for RSV shots in the participating provinces and territories, as recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Hannah Alberga and Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press
