Some seniors in New Brunswick are eligible to receive the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine free of charge.
The cost of the vaccine is now covered for New Brunswickers aged 60 and over who are living in a care home, adult residential facility or hospital while awaiting placement in a long-term care facility, the Department of Health confirms.
This is good news.
says the director of the Coalition for the Rights of Seniors and Nursing Home Residents, Cecile Cassista.
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Cecile Cassista, director of the New Brunswick Coalition for the Rights of Seniors and Nursing Home Residents.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Ian Bonnell
The organization asked the provincial government last year to fund the vaccine, which costs $200 to $300.
mrs Cassista adds that all other people aged 60 and over should also be eligible for the free vaccine. She believes this is very important.
All the preventive measures that we can offer to older people should be implemented. We should not delay them. I mean, in the long run, this has consequences for our health care system and therefore affects a lot of people.
says Mrs. Cassista.
Particularly recommended for those aged 75 and over
It is a highly contagious respiratory virus that most people contract before the age of 2, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The virus usually causes mild symptoms similar to a sinus cold. But in more vulnerable people, it can lead to hospitalization and even death. Globally, it kills an average of 118,200 people a year, the agency said.
Older adults, young children, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic health problems such as heart disease or diabetes are at greatest risk of serious illness.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization strongly recommends this vaccine for all people aged 60 and over who are receiving long-term care, and especially for those aged 75 and over.
An enthusiastic elderly lady
Sharon Geldart79 years old, resident of Riverviewis in good health and plans to seek the vaccine.
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Sharon Geldart, resident of Riverview.
Photo: Courtesy/Sharon Geldart
At my age, anything can happen at any time and this protection is worth it.
she said.
mrs Geldart requests flu and COVID-19 vaccines every year. I think that’s what keeps me healthy.
She adds that at about $300 a dose, it is expensive.
According to a report by Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon of CBC
