High-risk Alberta newborns to start getting new RSV shot next month amid calls for wider coverage – CBC
Province will start offering nirsevimab to some babies starting in November
Oct 09, 2025
Alberta will offer a free, preventative RSV shot to some high-risk newborns this fall, but it is stopping short of providing universal coverage to infants, which some other provinces are opting to do.
The antibody injection nirsevimab (sold as Beyfortus) was approved by Health Canada in 2023 and several other provinces are providing it to all newborns. The single dose shot contains lab-made proteins that act like those created by the body’s own immune system.
Starting in November, the injection will replace the monthly shot Palivizumab (Synagis) that was already being provided to some high-risk infants.
In 2024, National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended provinces build towards universal RSV immunization program for all infants, and that nirsevimab was the preferred option. It also said programs could be introduced in stages depending on supply, cost-effectiveness and affordability.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-rsv-baby-vaccines-9.6933321
