Nova Scotians over 75, as well as infants, can now get free RSV vaccines through pharmacies and public health.
RSV is a common respiratory virus and can have serious complications like bronchiolitis and pneumonia, especially in infants and older adults, according to a news release from the provincial government.
Dr. Joanne Langley, head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at IWK Health, says it can take a particular toll on older adults.
“It also can be a tipping point where you’re moving from the community to hospital care or to long term care, because during that period of illness, you lose a lot of your skills and your abilities to care for yourself,” said Langley.
For young infants, their airways are so small that even a small amount of swelling can be very serious, she said.
“In other provinces and territories and countries where this antibody has been introduced–Nirsevimab–prior to the annual outbreak, there’s been a reduction in hospital admissions by up to 85% so this will really transform the lives of these babies,” said Langley.
The first appointments for seniors over 75 are available Sept. 15, with family doctors and other primary care providers offering shots in November.
The vaccine will also be available for newborns before they leave the hospital. Infants under eight months can get the vaccine every year during RSV season, which usually beings in late fall and ends in the spring, and they can get it from their primary care provider or public health.
The province made the announcement on Wednesday outside of the Keshen Goodman Public Library.
Adults living in long-term care facilities, as well as children with health conditions that put them at risk, were already able to get the vaccines for free.
