The CDC has issued an alert stating that the drug Beyfortus is currently in limited supply, specifically in its highest dosage.
As cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) increase, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warns that a crucial drug used to protect infants is in short supply.
“As cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) increase, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warns that a crucial drug used to protect infants is in short supply.”
CDC Warns Doctors About Limited Supply of the Drug
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alerted healthcare professionals nationwide on Monday about the limited availability of certain doses of a newly approved antibody drug, which is given to infants to prevent RSV infection. Cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are increasing as cold and flu season begins.
Dr. Buddy Creech, a pediatric infectious disease doctor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, said, “RSV season is here. We are seeing a substantial increase in the amount of RSV such that in many areas, it has become the most commonly identified respiratory virus causing disease in children. This is one of the reasons why there’s probably a lot of scrambling going on,” he said, “to identify those babies at highest risk and to try to prioritize them, since it’s such a limited resource right now.”
FDA Approves Beyfortus In July
In July, the Food and Drug Administration gave its approval to Beyfortus, an antibody drug. While it’s not a vaccine, it functions similarly by providing antibodies directly to the bloodstream through an injection. Rather than triggering the immune system to develop its own antibodies to RSV, it delivers them directly to the blood.
Newborns and infants can receive Beyfortus during their first RSV season, and children up to age 2 who are at high risk of severe illness from the virus can receive a second dose during their second RSV season.