[ad_1]
All voting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) who were present on Thursday voted in favor of recommending the drug nirsevimab for infants under 8 months old entering their first RSV season and a higher dose for at-risk children between 8 and 19 months entering their second season.
The committee also voted yes on a resolution to add nirsevimab, or Beyfortus, to the federal Vaccines For Children (VFC) program so low-income families will be able to access the treatment.
The CDC will now have to sign off on nirsevimab. While it’s not required to follow ACIP’s recommendations, the agency almost always does.
“I just think this is absolutely great and exciting news. It’s a product that we’ve been eagerly awaiting,” ACIP member and pediatrician Pablo J. Sanchez said following the vote.
The development of a preventive treatment for RSV has taken some time, despite the disease being known for several decades. Beyfortus is not a traditional vaccine, but a monoclonal antibody that aims to reduce disease severity and the risk for hospitalization.
A common “daycare disease,” most people will be exposed before they are 2 years old, and the virus usually causes cold-like symptoms that go away with rest and self-care.
But infants younger than 6 months who haven’t been exposed have a high risk of developing severe infections that may warrant hospitalization and being placed on a ventilator.
This past winter, many hospitals reached capacity as more children than usual developed severe cases. Following this surge, demand and interest into a potential RSV preventive spiked.
During the meeting on Thursday, a few members noted that the next challenge in combating RSV this year will be logistics. Considering the antibody is indicated for children entering their first or second RSV season, which typically lasts between the fall and spring, there’s likely to be a rush to get it out in time.
[ad_2]
Source link
