We are calling on the Federal Government to license the life-saving medication and designate Inuit infants and other Indigenous infants in fly-in communities as high-risk for RSV infection.
As respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) rates surge at unprecedented rates this year, we are concerned about Inuit and other Indigenous babies in remote Northern communities are urgently at risk for severe RSV.
Inuit babies have the highest rates of RSV admission ever documented in the world. Most other First Nations and Métis in remote fly-in communities are also at elevated risk of severe RSV due to overcrowding, poverty, and the lack of hospitals in their communities. When Indigenous infants get severe RSV, they need to be transported by air to hospitals of their communities at significant social and financial costs.
A new drug, Nirsevimab was recently licensed by the European Commission, and has been under review in Canada since November 3. The advantage of Nirsevimab is that it is a single dose antibody against RSV developed for use in healthy term infants and easier to give in remote communities. Given the severity of RSV in Canada, we urgently need an expedited review of Nirsevimab.
Almost a quarter of a million people like you have now signed this petition. Together, our voices are powerful, and I know we can work together to demand that Indigenous babies receive the life-saving medication they need to protect them from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Please take 2 minutes to reach out to your MP as well as Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health (he can be reached at jean-yves.duclos@parl.gc.ca) and Marc Miller, Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations Canada (he can be reached at Marc.Miller@parl.gc.ca) and ask that they:
- Designate Indigenous infants in Northern communities in Canada as high-risk for RSV.
- Urgently fast-track approval of single-dose Nirsevimab for Indigenous babies in remote fly-in communities.
Thank you for your support. Together, we can use our voices to speak up for the most vulnerable and at-risk babies in Canada.
Thank you,
Dr. Anna Banerji O.Ont MPH FRCPC FAAP DTM&H CTropMed