Home / Health / Alberta Babies Get New RSV Antibody Protection
Alberta Babies Get New RSV Antibody Protection
18 Sep
Summary
- All newborns in Alberta will receive free RSV antibody treatment starting November.
- Over 1,000 children under four were hospitalized with RSV in the 2025-2026 season.
- RSV protection is also being expanded to more eligible adults, including seniors.
Starting in November, Alberta will provide free respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) monoclonal antibody treatments to all infants born between November and April. This measure comes in response to last season's significant RSV impact, which saw 1,089 children aged four and under hospitalized, including 549 infants under one year old, with 66 admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The province's expanded immunization campaign, beginning October 5, also includes increased eligibility for free RSV shots for adults. This includes seniors, individuals in congregate living, eligible First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, and, from October 1, additional adults aged 18 to 69 with serious medical conditions like transplant recipients or those on dialysis.
RSV, a common virus, can cause severe illness, particularly in infants and older adults. While infants faced high hospitalization rates, 67 adults over 40 died from RSV during the 2025-2026 season. The antibody treatments, available in Canada since 2023, were previously only funded by Alberta for high-risk newborns.
