Some newborns in Alberta will soon be able to get an antibody to protect them from a respiratory virus that sent hundreds of infants to the hospital last year. Starting in November, the Government of Alberta will offer free respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) monoclonal antibody treatments to all babies born in hospitals between November and April. Dr. Michael Spady, chief medical officer of Primary Care Alberta, said RSV is a common respiratory virus that can cause serious complications for babies. “RSV is a bit of a different animal,” Spady said. “It’s always been around, but we’ve never actually had immunization for it. “It actually has quite a heavy disease burden and can be very problematic, especially for the ends of the spectrums of age … So, really excited to have that as an option now.” The province’s respiratory virus dashboard shows 1,089 children aged four and under were hospitalized with RSV during the 2025-2026 season. Of those, 549 were babies less than a year old and 66 of them were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The RSV antibody treatments were not available in Canada until 2023. Until this year, Alberta only paid for the treatments for “high-risk” newborns, like those born prematurely. Earlier this year, Alberta pediatricians called on the province to start offering the RSV shot to all newborns, saying it could reduce pressure on hospitals caused by hundreds of babies getting sick each year. Spady explained RSV is also serious for older adults. While infants were the most hospitalized, provincial data shows all 67 people who died of RSV during the 2025-2026 season were above the age of 40. “For older folks, it’s the severity of illness that they can get,” Spady said. “They get other types of pneumonia that will land them in a hospital, or in some cases, can be quite serious and even lead to death.” RSV immunization is currently free of charge in Alberta for eligible seniors, older adults in congregate living, and eligible First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. On Oct. 1, the province is expanding eligibility for free RSV shots to additional adults aged 18 to 69 who have “serious medical conditions,” such as transplant recipients, and people on dialysis or oxygen therapy. The Alberta government’s annual fall immunization campaign begins Oct. 5. Albertans can begin booking appointments directly through pharmacies or by calling Health Link at 811. “Certainly, we’re encouraging people to get immunized,” Spady said. “It’s safe. It’s very effective – protects themselves, family members, protects others, and overall, we know really decreases the impact on our system as respiratory season really gets going.” More information on available immunizations can be found on the Government of Alberta website.
