Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations at the moment are out there for eligible sufferers who should not have a major care supplier by Youngsters’s Hospital at London Well being Sciences Centre (LHSC).
RSV is a respiratory virus that may trigger cold-like signs or lung infections, particularly in infants and older adults.
Positioned within the Paediatric Medical Day Unit, the brand new RSV Immunization Clinic is supposed to “bridge a gap” between infants who’ve a major care supplier and people who don’t.
Though an RSV vaccine was beforehand out there, a excessive value and quick window of safety made it impractical for widespread use. A brand new vaccine with decrease value of administration, and longer window is obtainable for all infants.
Vials of the brand new RSV vaccine at LHSC, November 5, 2024 (Bailey Shakyaver/ London)
Nurse Practitioner Erin Fleischer mentioned this system is supposed to bridge the hole for folks with no major care supplier, and cut back future hospital visits, “RSV is a virus that comes around every fall – for most of us it’s a cold and it stays in our upper airways… But we know that for our infant population, especially those babies that are under six months of age, they are at risk of that illness going from their upper airways down into their lower airways, where it could cause an inflammation and swelling, maybe leading to pneumonia.”
The hope is that the clinic will cut back the variety of youngsters admitted to hospital with RSV, liberating up capability for different sufferers, “Success would be seeing, that we don’t have as many emerge department visits this year,” mentioned Fleischer. “We always hear about, you know, bed closures and everything during the viral season and kids being stuck in the emergency department waiting for beds… success would be, you know, not hopefully having that happen.”
All infants born on or after Jan. 1, 2024, may be immunized on the twice-weekly clinic in the event that they don’t have a major care supplier.
To make an appointment, name 519-685-8500 ext. 50071 and depart a message along with your little one’s identify and date of delivery. A consultant will name you again with an appointment date and time.
