RFK Jr. cites safety concerns to reimburse global vaccine group
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said funding for organizations providing free vaccines for meningitis, malaria and other illnesses has been suspended.
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In the first vote since being appointed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services, eight members of the Vaccine Committee voted to recommend shots that protect babies from respiratory syncytial virus or RSV.
Clesrovimab, a monoclonal antibody created by the merchant giant Merck, is recommended for use in infants under 8 months of age who were born during the first RSV season or entered the first RSV season.
Martin Kruldorf, who headed the June 26 meeting, recently served as an expert witness to the plaintiffs who accused Merced of hiding the risk of Gardasil, a vaccine used to prevent cancer of human papillomavirus or HPV.
Eight new members of the Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices met for the first time on June 25th. Kennedy fired all 17 former members of the committee on June 9th, and appointed a new member a few days later. Given the inclusion of vaccine skeptics, approval is a surprise closing panel observers.
Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Workgroup, who presented drug data, universally supported drugs. However, two panel members still voted against it.
According to the CDC, RSV can infect almost everyone by the age of two. In the United States, approximately 58,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized in RSV each year, with hundreds of deaths.
Merck’s shot is the second RSV monoclonal antibody of its kind on the market. Initially, shots from Sanofi and AstraZeneca were called Bayfortus, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in July 2023 to prevent RSV lower respiratory tract disease in infants entering their first RSV season.
It was the first of its kind that it became widely available to all over the small number of immunocompromised children. Data released at the ACIP conference on June 25th showed that the shot reduced hospitalizations of newborns by about 47% until two months, with the population at the highest risk of hospitalization.
Dr. Cody Maisner, who voted to recommend Merckshot, said on June 25 that Beyfortas results data for past RSV seasons was “an incredible achievement.”
The Beyfortus shot was recommended in 2023 for babies under 9 months of age who were in ACIP’s first RSV season. Also, if you are in the second season of RSV, it is recommended for babies aged 8-19 months at a high risk of severe illness.
Parents can choose from two shots. If you receive Beyfortus, it is not recommended to obtain new monoclonal antibodies with Merck.
Pregnant patients also have access to Pfizer’s RSV vaccine Abrysvo. This is a good idea for pregnant people to protect their newborns from under-respiratory infections. This shot is approved for use between 32nd and 26th The week of pregnancy during the RSV season, which usually starts in September and runs through January in the US.
Adrianna can visit adrodriguez@usatoday.com.
