Infants under eight months can now get free protection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
The program for infants – which will be offered every year during the RSV season, typically from late fall to spring – began Wednesday, October 15, and runs to April 30, 2026.
Newborns will be offered their dose before being discharged from hospital, and other eligible infants can receive their dose from their primary care provider or public health.
“Giving babies monoclonal antibodies at birth helps protect them right away from RSV, which is one of the main reasons infants end up back in the hospital,” says Dr. Jeannette Comeau, Infectious Disease Physician at the IWK Health Centre. “This means they’re better protected from the moment they leave the hospital and go home.”
RSV is the most common cause of airway and lung infection in young infants and toddlers. In younger children it can present as respiratory distress.
Quick Facts:
- newborns will be offered Beyfortus (nirsevimab), which is not a vaccine but a long-acting monoclonal antibody that provides season-long protection, before being discharged from hospital
- eligible babies born before October 15, or those who missed getting their dose in the hospital, can receive the Beyfortus (nirsevimab) immunization from their primary care provider; public health will help those without a primary care provider
- most infants only need one dose to protect them in their first RSV season; some children who are at higher-risk of infection because of medical conditions will also need a dose in their second RSV season