December 5, 2025
More Than 1,500 Manitoba Babies Received New Respiratory Virus Protection Since Program Expansion
More than 1,500 Manitoba infants have received protection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as the Manitoba government’s expanded RSV antibody program enters its first full season, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced today.
As of Nov. 30, medical professionals administered a total of 1,553 doses of Nirsevimab across Manitoba, including 144 high-risk infants who are most vulnerable to severe RSV illness.
“This is about giving Manitoba babies a safer start to life,” said Asagwara. “Respiratory virus season can be overwhelming for families, especially when a newborn is struggling to breathe or needs hospital care. No parent should have to go through that. With this protection offered right at birth, more families have gone home with greater peace of mind. That’s the support families deserve and we’re committed to delivering it.”
The Manitoba government expanded the program in October, so this fall marked the first RSV season in which all infants born during the RSV season are eligible to receive Nirsevimab, a long-acting antibody that helps prevent severe RSV disease. The antibody is now offered before hospital discharge, ensuring newborns leave with early protection during the peak of RSV circulation.
Families whose infants were born since the program expanded but missed their dose at birth can receive Nirsevimab through public health offices, nursing stations and other designated sites across the province. High-risk infants born outside the RSV season continue to be managed through the Manitoba high-risk RSV immunoprophylaxis program.
Early uptake highlights strong demand and reflects the Manitoba government’s commitment to keeping infants healthy during a respiratory season that places significant pressure on pediatric hospitals every year, the minister noted.
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