Opinion: Let's Spare Alberta's Infants from Needless Suffering of RSV
By Cora Constantinescu, Joan Robinson, Sam Wong
Published Jun 10, 2026
Every winter, we care for babies struggling to breathe. As pediatricians, we see infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) whose tiny chests heave with every breath, whose ribs pull inward as they fight for air, and whose exhausted parents sit helplessly at their bedside. Some of these babies spend days in hospital. Some spend weeks in intensive care. Most recover, but the experience leaves a lasting mark on families.
What makes these cases especially difficult today is that most of them could have been prevented.
The Burden of RSV in Alberta
RSV has long been the most common cause of hospitalization in infancy. Approximately three-quarters of children encounter RSV during their first year of life. While many experience only cold-like symptoms, a significant proportion develop bronchiolitis, causing wheezing and shortness of breath. In Alberta, RSV leads to more than 5,000 emergency department or physician visits among infants each year and more than 500 hospital admissions. It is clear that RSV is here to stay.
For decades, physicians could offer nothing more than supportive care. Today, we have something we have never had before: highly effective prevention.
Effective Prevention Options Available
This prevention comes in two forms. The first is a long-acting antibody that protects infants against severe disease during their first RSV season. The second is vaccination during pregnancy, which allows antibodies to cross the placenta and protect infants during their most vulnerable months.
In other words, most of the hospitalizations, emergency visits and ICU admissions that we currently accept as inevitable are no longer inevitable. Both these methods have been used for several years and we know that they are safe and they work: Hospitalization drops by over 85 per cent with the long-acting antibody and approximately 70 per cent with the vaccine.
Alberta Lags Behind Other Provinces
Most Canadian provinces have recognized this opportunity. More than 80 per cent of Canadian infants now have access to publicly funded long-acting antibody (nirsevimab) programs. Ontario funds both nirsevimab and RSV vaccination during pregnancy.
Alberta, meanwhile, restricts funded nirsevimab to a small group of infants considered at highest risk, despite the fact that most RSV hospitalizations occur in babies with no identifiable risk factors.
Cost Considerations and Real-World Impact
The primary barrier is cost. Nirsevimab costs approximately $430 per dose (estimated bulk price) and RSV vaccine approximately $230 per dose. Cost-effectiveness analyses suggest that a program offering nirsevimab to each infant during their first year of life may not meet traditional funding thresholds at current prices. However, a strategy combining maternal vaccination with targeted nirsevimab for higher-risk infants could be cost-effective.
However, cost-effectiveness models do not fully capture what happens on the ground during RSV season. They do not capture the overcrowded emergency departments where families wait for hours with infants who are struggling to breathe. They do not capture the stress of a medical evacuation from a rural community to Calgary or Edmonton. They do not capture the parent trying to arrange child care for siblings, negotiate time off work, or manage the financial consequences of an unexpected hospitalization.
It is time for Alberta to prioritize the health of its youngest residents and ensure that every infant has access to RSV prevention. The tools exist; now we need the political will to use them.
