Doctor calls RSV vaccine a ‘game-changer’ as Sask. plans to expand immunizations on Oct. 1 – CTV
September 29, 2025
As the season of colds, flus and respiratory viruses approaches, Saskatchewan is trying to protect its youngest residents from a nasty virus.
The province has expanded its immunization program for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to include all newborns, beginning Oct. 1.
In the past, only high-risk infants and children received immunization, which had to be administered monthly for the duration of RSV season.
This year, Saskatchewan will administer a different immunization to the public.
“It’s a single injection that will last throughout the RSV season, so at least five months,” said Rachel Leavitt, manager of the RSV Immunization Program.
In some studies, the antibodies from the immunization protected against severe RSV for up to eight months, she added.
Babies born between Oct. 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, are eligible to receive the injection with parental consent. The shot can be administered before they leave the hospital. Most infants and young children won’t need to get the immunization again, according to Leavitt.
