Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus which is most severe in young babies and older adults <\/p>\n
NEWS RELEASE
\nMINISTRY OF HEALTH
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\nThe Ontario government is expanding the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) prevention program to include all individuals aged 75 years and older, helping to protect those most vulnerable during the upcoming respiratory illness season.<\/p>\n
“Our government is ensuring the most vulnerable have access to the tools they need to protect themselves and their family during respiratory illness season,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “We\u2019re once again expanding RSV immunization which will now include everyone 75 years of age and older so we can help protect more seniors and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations this fall and winter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Starting this fall, RSV immunization will now be available through Ontario\u2019s publicly funded RSV immunization programs to all individuals aged 75 and older, building on last year\u2019s expansion<\/a> of the programs that also includes:<\/p>\n
Pregnant women will have the option to receive the RSV vaccine Abrysvo\u00ae, which can help provide protection to infants at birth, while eligible newborns, infants and high-risk children can receive the Beyfortus\u00ae immunization. More details on where families will be able to access RSV immunization will be provided in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we prepare for the upcoming respiratory illness season, it\u2019s essential that we take proactive steps to protect those most at risk and reduce pressure on our health-care system,\u201d said Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario\u2019s Chief Medical Officer of Health. \u201cOntario\u2019s RSV immunization programs for infants, high-risk children, high-risk adults over 60 and everyone aged 75 and older is a critical part of our strategy to prevent severe illness, hospitalizations, and complications, especially among those most vulnerable to respiratory infections.\u201d<\/p>\n Routine and recommended immunizations help prevent the spread of serious diseases throughout communities, reduce medical visits and keep people out of the hospital. Everyone is strongly encouraged to stay up to date on their immunizations, especially children returning to school who may have missed routine vaccines.<\/p>\n Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care<\/a>, the Ontario government is providing people with the tools they need to connect to the care they need to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and healthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n Quick Facts<\/p>\n
Quotes<\/p>\n “At Sunnybrook, we see every day how important it is to protect seniors\u2019 health so they can live independently for longer. Expanding access to the RSV vaccine gives older adults in our community an important tool to prevent serious illness, reduce emergency hospital visits, and maintain their quality of life. This is an important step forward in supporting the health and well-being of Ontario\u2019s aging population.”<\/p>\n – Dr. Karen Fleming “Sanofi applauds the Government of Ontario on the expansion of the RSV immunization program as another positive step to protect public health. At Sanofi, we are proud to partner on this priority and ensure Beyfortus\u00ae (nirsevimab) is available again this season. As the first and only single-dose immunization indicated for the prevention of RSV in newborns and infants, Beyfortus\u00ae helps protect all babies from the risk of RSV disease and reduces its burden on the health-care system.”<\/p>\n – Delphine Lansac “We applaud the Ontario government\u2019s continued commitment to protecting the most vulnerable during respiratory illness season. Expanding access to RSV immunization for all individuals aged 75 and older is a vital step in helping Ontario seniors stay healthy and avoid serious complications. When Canadians have access to quality health care and can live healthy lives, they are better able to participate fully in society and help reduce the burden on our health-care systems. At Pfizer Canada, we are proud to support public health efforts that prioritize prevention and empower Canadians with timely access to innovative vaccines and can help unlock the benefits of improved population health.”<\/p>\n – An Van Gerven “RSV is a major contributor to illness and hospitalizations. Fortunately, RSV immunization is safe and extraordinarily effective. This vaccine coverage will save lives and help to improve quality of life for older Ontarians by reducing the risk of serious illness and complications. It also will reduce the number of hospitalizations, which means more capacity in our health-care system during the always busy winter season.”<\/p>\n – Dr. Chris Simpson Additional Resources<\/p>\n ************************<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus which is most severe in young babies and older…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30025,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[49,48,84,59358],"class_list":["post-103151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-rsvrespiratory-syncytial-virusrsv-immunizationabrysvo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103151"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103151\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\tCertain high-risk adults aged 60 to 74, such as residents of long-term care homes or retirement homes
\n\tInfants up to eight months of age in their first RSV season
\n\tHigh-risk children up to 24 months of age in their second season
<\/p>\n
\n\tInformation about recommended immunizations for the upcoming respiratory illness season, including when to get your flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine, will be available closer to the fall.
\n\tRespiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that infects the nose, throat, and lungs. Infection is most severe in young babies and older adults and can cause serious lung infections that may require hospitalization. RSV infection can also make chronic health problems worse.
\n\tPregnant women should consult with their health-care provider before receiving Abrysvo\u00ae.
\n\tEvery time your child gets a routine immunization, report it to your local public health unit to ensure their records for the ISPA are up to date. Health-care providers do not report these records for you.
\n\tUnder Ontario\u2019s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA), students must provide proof of immunization against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella and whooping cough to attend school.
\n\tTalk to a health-care provider or public health unit<\/a> if you are unsure if your child has missed routine immunizations<\/a> or if you are unsure about which immunizations they have received.
\n\tVisit Health811 online<\/a> or call 811 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007<\/a> toll free) for health advice and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.\u00a0
<\/p>\n
\nChief, Department of Family and Community Medicine and Family Physician, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre<\/p>\n
\nGeneral Manager, Vaccines, Sanofi Canada <\/p>\n
\nPresident, Pfizer Canada<\/p>\n
\nChief Medical Executive, Ontario Health\u00a0<\/p>\n