New Brunswick will offer free RSV shots to all newborns starting Oct. 13

All New Brunswick newborns — and any baby under two — will be eligible for free RSV immunization beginning Oct. 13, Premier Susan Holt’s government announced Thursday, in a program that will cost the province $3.8 million.

CBC News reports that privately paid RSV shots can run into the hundreds of dollars. Holt said the expansion is meant to protect the province’s “youngest and most vulnerable” and ease pressure on emergency rooms. Health Minister John Dornan called RSV one of the leading causes of respiratory illness in infants and predicted fewer ER visits if uptake is strong. Babies born between April 1 and Oct. 12 can get the shot at public-health clinics or through a primary-care provider; those born during the RSV season into March 2027 can be immunized before hospital discharge.

Ariadna Grigoriu, medical director of the New Brunswick Prenatal Program, told CBC the recommended infant RSV immunization lowers odds of related hospitalization by about 83 per cent, and that a neighbouring province with a free infant program saw an 80 to 90 per cent drop in severe illness. Nova Scotia rolled out free RSV programs for infants and seniors last year. New Brunswick already covers certain seniors in care, anyone over 75, and Indigenous adults over 60. The Health Department counted 1,509 confirmed RSV cases from August 2025 to August 2026, down from 2,552 in the prior year, with recent Respiratory Watch positivity still described as low.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician about personal health decisions.

Sources: CBC News.