Starting this fall, Ontario will make respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines available free of charge to all seniors aged 75 and older, Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced Wednesday.
The move expands the province’s publicly funded immunization program ahead of the upcoming respiratory illness season. RSV, which often causes cold-like symptoms, can lead to severe illness in infants, young children, and older adults.
Ontario already provides RSV vaccines to high-risk adults aged 60 to 74, infants up to eight months old during their first RSV season, and high-risk children up to age two in their second RSV season. Pregnant women will also continue to have the option of receiving the vaccine to protect newborns at birth.
Jones said details on how and where families and seniors can access the vaccine will be released in the coming weeks.