The Ontario government is expanding its Respiratory Syncytial Virus prevention program to protect more seniors.
Everyone aged 75 and older will be able to access free RSV vaccines through the province’s publicly funded immunization programs beginning this fall.
The program already offers RSV shots to certain high-risk adults aged 60 to 74, infants up to eight months of age, and high-risk children up to 24 months. Pregnant women will continue to have the option to receive the RSV vaccine Abrysvo, which can help protect infants at birth.
“As we prepare for the upcoming respiratory illness season, it’s essential that we take proactive steps to protect those most at risk and reduce pressure on our health-care system,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, in a news release. “Ontario’s RSV immunization programs … [are] a critical part of our strategy to prevent severe illness, hospitalizations, and complications, especially among those most vulnerable to respiratory infections.”
Information about recommended immunizations for the upcoming respiratory illness season, including when to get a flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine, will be available closer to the fall.