“Other” children considered to be at high risk for complicated RSV : Palivizumab (Synagis®)

Updated November 2022

The requesting physician and an Infectious Disease Specialist or Respirologist should supply a letter along with the Nova Scotia ordering requisition to AstraZeneca Canada Inc. (AstraZeneca) providing medical justification for ordering palivizumab. 

Eligible requests will be approved by an Infectious Disease physician at the IWK Health Centre. 

If physicians are unsure whether a patient is eligible, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases physician on call at the IWK Health Centre is willing to provide a consult and can be contacted at (902) 470-8888 or a fax can be sent to their attention at (902) 470-7846. Examples of children who could be considered high risk are those with severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome or severe hypotonia preventing adequate clearance of respiratory secretions or those with severe chronic lung disease not due to prematurity.