1 of 2 | A new shot to protect babies against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is in short supply, forcing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend Monday that doctors reserve their limited doses for higher risk infants. Photo by Cheryl Holt/Pixabay
A new shot to protect babies against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is in short supply, forcing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend Monday that doctors reserve their limited doses for higher risk infants.
The manufacturer of nirsevimab, which is sold as Beyfortus, has stopped taking orders because it is unable to keep up with “unprecedented demand.” Advertisement
“Despite an aggressive supply plan built to outperform past pediatric vaccine launches, demand for this product, especially for the 100 mg doses used primarily for babies born before the RSV season, has been higher than anticipated,” the company, Sanofi, said in a statement.
A single 100-milligram shot of Beyfortus contains long-lasting antibodies and is typically administered to babies over 11 pounds before their first winter or RSV season. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in a “fast-track” designation in July.
Sanofi called the drug a “potential game-changer” for American families, saying its approval marked “an unprecedented moment for protecting infant health in the U.S., following an RSV season that took a record toll on infants, their families, and the U.S. healthcare system.” Advertisement
On Monday, the CDC issued a Health Alert Network Health Advisory to physicians, instructing them to prioritize 100 mg dosages for those babies “at the highest risk for severe RSV disease,” who are infants under six months of age and those with underlying health conditions.
“We are going to protect some children from RSV this year. We’re not going to be able to protect as many as we’d hoped, and that’s frustrating,” said Dr. Buddy Creech, a pediatrician at Vanderbilt and president of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society.
While 50 mg doses are still available, the CDC does not recommend using two 50 MG doses because those are reserved for babies weighing less than 11 pounds.
RSV is a common cause of respiratory infection in babies during their first year of life, causing the lower lungs to fill with mucus and making it difficult for babies to breathe and eat. The risk decreases with age up until 4 years old.
Monday’s CDC health alert offered alternatives, advising doctors to counsel pregnant women about the new maternal vaccine for RSV, called Abryvso, which protects newborns from RSV during their first few months of life. The vaccine is administered in one dose during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy. Advertisement
The CDC also recommended that doctors stop using Beyfortus for babies between the ages of 8 months and 19 months, and instead use an older protective therapy called palivizumab, or Synagis, which requires a shot every month through RSV season.
