Don't have a family doctor? RSV vaccinations are available at Children's Hospital
As of Monday, all babies born this year are eligible for the RSV vaccine
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is now offering respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccinations to young patients who don't have a family doctor as respiratory illness season kicks into full swing, hospital officials have announced.
The RSV immunization clinic at Children's Hospital is offering the vaccination to any child born on or after Jan. 1, 2024. Specifically, infants from families without a primary care doctor are invited to attend the clinic.
The clinic opened on the same day that all babies born this year became eligible for RSV vaccines.
"A family physician, nurse practitioner, or pediatrician, can all order the [vaccine] from the Health Unit and administer the shots in their office. So for babies that don't have a primary care physician or care provider out in the community, we're trying to close that gap ... to ensure that everybody can have access," said Erin Fleischer, the nurse practitioner at Children's Hospital who oversees the program.
RSV is a common virus that causes cold-like symptoms in most people. For infants, young children and the elderly, however, the virus can cause pneumonia by creating inflammation in the lungs.
It's just one of the numerous illnesses that come up during the annual respiratory illness season, which typically begins in late autumn and runs through winter. Influenza and COVID-19 are being monitored by local health officials, who are encouraging everyone who is eligible to update their immunization against the two viral diseases.
"What we're seeing is an increase in emergency department visits for people with respiratory symptoms across all age groups, including children," said Dr. Alex Summers, the Medical Officer of Health for the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU).
"All of this, as we enter the month of November, is consistent with an increase in respiratory illness that's going to cause things like coughs and colds, but also pneumonia."
Summers said so far, some early cases of influenza have been reported in the region, alongside moderate COVID-19 activity and RSV levels that haven't had a notable impact on healthcare services in the region.
He encouraged people who are eligible to ensure they receive an RSV vaccination on top of vaccines being offered for COVID-19 and influenza.
The RSV immunization clinic is located in Children's Hospital's Paediatric Medical Day Unit and runs on Mondays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Appointments for free immunization can be booked at 519-685-8500 x 50071.