Nirsevimab, an RSV infant immunization, is publicly funded in most provinces, but not B.C.

Nirsevimab was approved by Health Canada in April 2023 and recommended for all infants in their first RSV season — the fall and winter.

It is made by AstraZeneca and distributed in Canada by pharmaceutical company Sanofi, under the name Beyfortus, and ranges in price from $800 to $900.

The majority of Canada has a publicly funded RSV program where all babies can receive nirsevimab free of charge.

The only outliers are British Columbia, Alberta and New Brunswick.

In B.C., nirsevimab is only covered for some high-risk infants and those born in certain remote communities. Hemmons says despite being born preterm, his daughter wasn’t considered high-risk enough to qualify for the immunization.

A recent study from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine found that babies under six months made up almost 45 per cent of all RSV-related hospital admissions in Canada and nearly 50 per cent (about $32.5 million) of the total annual costs.

“There is that huge risk that if your baby catches it, they likely will be hospitalized because their body can’t handle it at that age,” said Calgary mother Katrina Bellavance, whose youngest daughter Maxine was hospitalized for four days when she was nearly eight weeks old.