Health officials are adjusting their recommendations regarding eligibility for a preventive shot against severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants due to a concurrent drug shortage and a consistent increase in RSV cases.
Back in August, an advisory panel advised that all infants under 8 months entering their first RSV season should receive the monoclonal antibody shot Beyfortus. Children aged 8 to 19 months, who faced an elevated risk of severe disease, were also eligible for the shot if they were entering their second RSV season.
Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated their guidance to prioritize higher doses of the shot for infants younger than six months and for infants with underlying conditions that increase their risk of severe RSV. The CDC also recommends that parents of children aged 8 to 19 months consider another monoclonal antibody, palivizumab, if their children meet the eligibility criteria. This adjustment in recommendations aims to address the ongoing drug shortage while focusing on the most vulnerable infants.
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Before the shortage issue became evident, health authorities had previously recommended that infants receive a dose of Beyfortus similar to a vaccine prior to the onset of the RSV season, which typically spans from fall into winter. Clinical trial results have demonstrated that this drug effectively prevents lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in infants and children, especially those who are entering or currently experiencing their first RSV season. their recommendations regarding
The monoclonal antibody is the first of its kind to be widely available to everyone beyond a small population of immunocompromised children. The other option – palivizumab – is recommended only for high-risk infants born severely premature at 29 weeks or earlier. That drug requires monthly injections.
Health officials are urging doctors to encourage pregnant patients to get a new vaccine designed to protect newborns from RSV. Babies who receive that drug in utero, don’t require followup shots of the antibody vaccine.