The White House has conveyed that additional scarce quantities of Beyfortus, the recently developed immunization for infants against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), will be accessible in January.
This corresponds with the current RSV season in the United States.
In an urgent appeal to healthcare providers to bolster immunization efforts against respiratory viruses, the CDC advised, on Thursday, that doctors administer the available doses of Beyfortus without withholding them for infants born later in the season.
Following a meeting on Wednesday with Sanofi and AstraZeneca, the two pharmaceutical companies responsible for producing the immunization, the White House released a statement indicating that an additional 230,000 doses of the vaccine will be made available in January, at the behest of the Administration.
This decision comes subsequent to the distribution of an extra 77,000 doses in the preceding month, following discussions with officials from the Biden administration.
As per a spokesperson from Sanofi, the doses disclosed in November had been pending final approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.
The company subsequently collaborated with the FDA to expedite the clearance process.
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230,000 Additional Vaccine Doses Allocated for 2024 RSV Season
The upcoming availability of 230,000 doses next month was initially reserved to meet the demand for the 2024 RSV season in the Southern Hemisphere and will be replenished before the commencement of that season in the spring.
In October, the companies acknowledged in a statement that an “unprecedented demand” for the vaccine had surpassed their projected supply.
They collaborated with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure equitable distribution.
The CDC subsequently issued new guidelines, prioritizing the allocation of doses to the youngest and smallest infants, leading parents with older infants to seek the immunization just as the RSV season intensified.
Beyfortus, a vaccine comprising protective antibodies, is approved for infants under 8 months and certain at-risk children under age 2, particularly those entering their first or second RSV season.
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