Infants, children up to 24 months and pregnant people
Infants born on or after April 1, 2025 who are less than 8 months of age by the end of the RSV season (March 31, 2026) are eligible.
Certain high risk children are also eligible as well as pregnant people.
Health care providers can administer beginning on October 1, 2025.
See below for more information, including the criteria for high risk children and guidance for pregnant people, OR the Ontario Ministry of Health guidance.
Eligibility
Eligibility in Ontario for high risk older adults was expanded in 2025-2026 and now includes:
all individuals aged 75 and older (new for the 2025-26 season)
individuals 60 to 74 years of age who are also:
residents of long-term care homes, Elder Care Lodges, or retirement homes including similar settings (e.g., co-located facilities).
patients in hospital receiving alternate level of care (ALC) including similar settings (for example, complex continuing care, hospital transitional programs)
patients with glomerulonephritis (GN) who are moderately to severely immunocompromised (new for the 2025-26 season)
patients receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis recipients of solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplants individuals experiencing homelessness
individuals who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis
Products
Arexvy is prioritized this time for administration to adults 60 years and older due to supply quantities.
However, both Arexvy and Abrysvo are authorized by Health Canada and recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI).
Both have demonstrated high effectiveness in preventing severe disease from RSV in clinical trials
Single Dose
If an individual has previously received a dose of RSV vaccine they do not need to receive another dose this season, as booster doses are not currently recommended.
Evidence supports the use of a single dose of either Arexvy or Abrysvo to help prevent RSV disease in adults 60 years of age and older.
Both products have demonstrated high effectiveness in preventing severe disease from RSV in clinical trials.
Studies show multi-year protection. As such, if an individual received a dose of RSV vaccine previously, they do not need to receive another dose this season.
The timing for subsequent doses is unknown at this time. Studies are ongoing to determine the duration of protection.
Ordering Vaccine
Thunder Bay Providers - Use the Thunder Bay Providers RSV Form (PDF - Updated September 2024)
Monoclonal antibody product Beyfortus® will be publicly funded and available as of October 1, 2025 to infants and children who are residents of Ontario and meet any of the following criteria:
Infants born April 1 or after and are less than 8 months of age up to the end of the RSV season (March 31).
Children up to 24 months of age who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease through their second RSV season, following a discussion with a healthcare provider.
Although giving the monoclonal antibody to an infant is the recommended approach over vaccination in pregnancy to protect infants, an RSV vaccine, Abrysvo®, may be recommended for pregnant people who do not wish to or are not able to protect their infant using the monoclonal antibody.
Eligibility
The RSV vaccine will be available to residents of Ontario who are 32 to 36 weeks pregnant and who will deliver near the start of or during the RSV season after a conversation with their health care provider.
The goal is to help the patient's immune system by providing infants with passive maternal antibodies to protect the baby from severe illness RSV from birth until 6 months old.
Due to waning effects of the passively transferred antibodies in neonates over time, the protective effect may not last beyond six months of age in infants.
While the parent who received AbrysvoTM may have multi-year protection, it does not provide the infant with long-term immunity.
Receiving both Abrysvo® and Beyfortus® is not expected to provide additional benefit and is not recommended except under certain circumstances which are outlined in the Ontario Ministry of Health guidance.
