By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Local Hélène Hayes Cunningham shared an eye-opening account with The Record of the financial and healthcare challenges faced by her family due to the expensive Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine. This account underscores the broader issue of vaccine affordability and accessibility in Canada. This situation is exacerbated by recent concerns over emergency room overcrowding and the healthcare system’s strained capacity to handle increasing patient numbers.
In a Dec. 19 interview, Cunningham recounted that the issue came to light in early December when her 44-year-old son, a resident of Beaconsfield and father to two young children aged four and seven, contracted RSV. His severe illness led him to advise his parents to get vaccinated. Cunningham, aged 76 and recently having undergone knee replacement surgery, and her 81-year-old husband, who has asthma and diabetes, were prime candidates for the vaccine.
Upon consulting their healthcare provider, Dr. Suzanne Banfill at the Bishop’s University healthcare center, the Cunninghams were prescribed the vaccine. However, they were informed about its high cost – initially quoted at $175 but later billed at $288.75 per dose. This brought the total cost for the couple to nearly $600, a significant financial burden.
“For preventive medicine we’re close to $600 down. And I would have taken it anyway because I’ve been navigating the health care system and I truly believe in taking care of myself first. But… I feel it’s thoroughly unjust for people who don’t have the means to not be able to have access to this,” Cunningham explained.
Ontario is currently the only province that offers financial support for Arexvy, the RSV vaccine in question, for vulnerable populations. This regional disparity in healthcare coverage highlights the uneven access to essential medical treatments across Canada. The situation is further complicated by the lack of coverage for the vaccine by private insurance companies, as Cunningham discovered through her insurer, Desjardins.
In addition to the RSV vaccine, Cunningham drew attention to the shingles vaccine, Shingrix, which is, she said, offered free to those 80 and over in some provinces, including Prince Edward Island and Ontario, but not in others. This inconsistency in vaccine coverage within the Canadian healthcare system points to a broader issue of inequitable healthcare across the country.
Cunningham worries that the issue will get worse with Bill 15 and Santé Québec, the new healthcare administrative model recently slotted to be put in place.
“With this illness, I think that’s where we’re going forward with Santé Québec and the type of decisions that are taken at the top and not from the point of view of the patient. If it’s the point of view of the administrators only, they certainly don’t have the right aim with more prevention to help the health system,” she said.
The Record contacted local health authority CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS for comment on the current state of their ERs and received the following statement Dec. 18 from Nancy Corriveau, a media relations representative:
“We are noticing an increase in the number of users presenting to the emergency room with problems related to respiratory viruses and gastroenteritis. We remind you that people who show symptoms of gastroenteritis, sinusitis, otitis, or any other virus can call 811, option 1, to get an evaluation by a nurse and, if necessary, an appointment for a medical consultation, regardless of the user’s age and whether they have a family doctor. When a person shows symptoms of a respiratory virus, they are encouraged to reduce contact with people and adopt respiratory hygiene measures (hand washing, wearing a mask, etc.) to decrease the transmission of viruses.”
The Record contacted Quebec’s Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux (MSSS) over email Dec. 19 asking for an interview or statement as to why the RSV vaccine costs $288.75 and is not covered by the province. As of press time Dec. 21, the MSSS has not responded.