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Infant immunization against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is now available across Canada, but most parents in British Columbia still have to pay out of pocket for it, and at a hefty cost.
Dr. Patrick Hemmons, a family physician in northern British Columbia who had to travel to Seattle last year to buy a dose of nirsevimab for his premature daughter, says he's glad no one else will have to cross international borders to get antibodies.
“It was not easy to travel to another country to get medications that I think should be widely available in Canada,” he said. “This drug is extremely effective in preventing [RSV]Which is a game changer.”
But he and many other parents and doctors say they don't just want the vaccine available to all babies, they want it free.
Nirsivamab was approved by Health Canada in April 2023 and is recommended for all infants during the first RSV season – fall and winter.
It is manufactured by AstraZeneca and distributed in Canada by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi under the name Beyfortus, and prices range fromabout 800-900 dollars.
A Prince George doctor and parent of a premature baby is calling for a life-saving new vaccine to be made available to all babies in British Columbia.
Funding varies across Canada
Most of Canada has a government-funded RSV program that offers nirsevimab to all children free of charge.
The only exceptions are British Columbia, Alberta and New Brunswick.
In British Columbia, nirsevimab is only covered for some high-risk infants and children born in some remote communities. Hemmons says despite being born premature, her daughter was not considered high enough risk to be eligible for immunization.
RSV usually causes a mild cold, but can cause severe illness in vulnerable populations such as older adults and newborns.
A recent research from the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine found that infants under six months of age accounted for nearly 45 percent of all RSV-related hospitalizations in Canada and nearly 50 percent cent (about $32.5 million) thousand.e total annual costs.
“There's a huge risk that if your baby gets infected, they will likely be hospitalized because their body won't be able to handle it at that age,” said Calgary mother Katrina Bellavance, whose youngest daughter Maxine was hospitalized for four days when she was almost eight weeks old.
Bellavance said her daughter became infected with RSV in February 2023, and she would have vaccinated her daughter if she had had the opportunity at that time.
“Having antibody treatments available, especially for premature babies, could keep a lot of babies out of hospitalization and save a lot of families a really stressful experience,” she said.
“It doesn’t make sense to me that some provincial governments aren’t willing to provide that.”
In 2024 National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), which advises the federal government, recommended prioritizing coverage for high-risk infants due to the high price of nirsevimab. – at that time 952 dollars.
But the committee also recommended working toward a “universal RSV immunization program for all infants.”
Coverage may change
However, it is up to provinces to decide whether to cover drug costs or not.
British Columbia's Ministry of Health said it reviews immunization eligibility criteria annually.
It said 4,000 doses of nirsevimab are available for the 2025-2026 respiratory season for high-risk infants.
Children who do not meet the criteria can still receive antibodies for a private fee, the ministry said, but the availability of products for private purchase is at the discretion of the manufacturer.
Dr. Catherine Smart, a pediatrician and former president of the Canadian Medical Association, said she expects coverage eligibility may change.
“Given the pressure on our health care system and the cost of RSV disease even in infants who do not have risk factors, I think we may see these provinces realize that offering nirsevimab to all infants is the best economic decision,” she said.
She added that one of the problems with nirsevimab is that information about it is not provided to parents in a reliable enough manner, so even families who want to pay the bills may not know the option exists.
“We need to talk about it, make sure families know it's available, but it's equally important to make it available to all children.”
