Quebec becomes the first province to offer babies a nirsevimab (Beyfortus™) injection program, a prevention agent known to be effective against complications linked to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
This was announced on Friday by the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé.
Approved by Health Canada in April 2023, nirsevimab was added to the List of medications for health and social services establishments a month later.
Although it is administered by injection, it is not a vaccine strictly speaking, but more of a preventive treatment with a monoclonal antibody, according to the medical literature.
[…] which specifically protect against both types of VRS with excellent efficiency”,”text”:”Instead of injecting the antigen of the virus so that our body produces antibodies, here we directly inject the antibodies[…] which specifically protect against both types of RSV with excellent effectiveness”}}”>Instead of injecting the antigen of the virus so that our body produces antibodies, we directly inject the antibodies […] which specifically protect against both types of VRS with excellent efficiency
explains in an interview with Radio-Canada, Dr. Caroline Quach, responsible for infection prevention and control at University Hospital Ste-Justine.
This is excellent news for mothers who are going to give birth, future little babies and for the entire health network, because the VRS still causes a lot of congestion in emergency rooms.
Eligibility
- All babies aged less than six months at the start of the first season of VRS and those who will be born during the season of VRS which generally corresponds to the return of the cold season.
- Babies “with health conditions exposing them to increased risks of complications” will also be covered by the program.
A large number of hospitalizations
Very contagious, VRS is one of the leading causes of hospitalization of newborns and infants in Canada due to bronchiolitis and pneumonia that it causes in premature newborns and babies with more vulnerable health. THE VRS is the leading cause of respiratory illness in babies, according to the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
Almost all children contract the virus at least once before the age of 2.
The preventive administration of nirsevimab on a large scale to Quebec infants could therefore make a positive contribution to the health of babies and to the unclogging of hospitals in winter, medical authorities hope.
I think that’s where we’re going to see the biggest difference this winter. There are European countries that used it last year. Spain and France had already taken advantage of it and they told us that it had changed their lives. We hope it will change ours too
declared Dr. Quach on ICI RDI.
The drug manufactured by AstraZeneca Canada is administered in a single dose, by intramuscular injection.
Quebec invites parents to consult the health professional who monitors the child to determine if the child can receive nirsevimab.
