Access to RSV immunization to be made available for all Nunavut babies

A new immunization program against respiratory syncytial virus — commonly known as RSV — will be available to all infants in Nunavut starting in late October.

The Nirsevimab vaccine, described by the Department of Health as a “highly effective” antibody designed to protect infants from severe RSV infection, will be administered to all newborns at birth.

“A catch-up program will ensure that infants under 12 months of age who were born earlier in the year will also be vaccinated,” said Chelsea Halvorson, spokesperson for the department, in an email to Nunatsiaq News.

The previous RSV program only administered Palivizumab to infants at high risk for severe disease, such as those born with a congenital heart disease or chronic lung disease.

Soon to be available at all health centres across Nunavut, Nirsevimab is considered by the Government of Nunavut to be more effective than the older RSV vaccine Palivizumab, which required monthly dosing.

“Nirsevimab provides longer-lasting protection with a single dose for most infants. For high-risk infants, a second dose may be provided to extend their protection throughout the RSV season,” Halvorson said.

While serious side effects of the Nirsevimab vaccine are rare, mild reactions like redness or swelling at the injection site or mild fever could occur, said the department. Parents are encouraged to contact health care providers if they have any concerns.

For Dr. Anna Banerji, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist based at the University of Toronto who has spent 30 years researching RSV in Inuit babies, the program is a breakthrough.

“I think it’s fantastic that all children in Nunavut are getting access to this vaccine,” she said.

Advocating for more equitable access to RSV medication for Inuit babies, Banerji started a #FairMedicine online petition in 2019 that garnered close to a quarter of a million signatures across Canada.

The petition called for the immunization of all Inuit infants younger than six months of age, especially in northern communities which have the highest rates of RSV hospitalizations globally.

“RSV hospital admissions are very expensive and we’ve found that it was cheaper to administer preventative measures rather than pay for very expensive medical evacuations,” she said.

Banerji’s decades-long advocacy hits close to home, as her son Nathan Banerji-Kearney, who passed away in 2018, was from Clyde River.

“The six-year anniversary of his death is today,” Banerji said in an interview Wednesday.

“He knew I was fighting for what he called ‘his people,’ and other Inuit children. I hope on this day he will be happy and proud of me.”

After this RSV season, the Department of Health plans to launch a “future maternal RSV vaccination program” to further protect families.

Older adults in Nunavut—specifically those aged 75 and older, and those 65 and over living in long-term care—will also be eligible to receive an RSV vaccination.