RSV season Cases are on the rise, and doctors hope new vaccinations to prevent the virus in young children will reduce the number of infections this year. But some pediatricians are facing difficulties securing supplies.
The CDC and FDA Beyfortas antibody injectionFrom pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Sanofi, to prevent RS virus Infants up to 8 months old or children up to 24 months old with severe risk factors.
Respiratory syncytial virus is the leading cause of hospitalization in children under 1 year of age.
Dr. Lauren Fitzpatrick, medical director of pediatrics at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, said after a record year in 2022, pediatricians are confident the drug could help reduce the number of infections. He said he was optimistic.
“We thought this was a breakthrough and this could be transformative for us and could really reduce the risk of patients being hospitalized with RSV,” she told CBS News. told. ”I think there was our hope and then there was reality. ”
“We don’t have the infrastructure in place to deploy this vaccine or monoclonal antibodies, so even though there are families who are requesting it, we are unable to meet their requests.”
The big problem right now is the cost, which is nearly $500 per session. The shots are expected to be covered by most insurance plans, but providers must order supplies before knowing how much they will be reimbursed.
“As pediatricians, we are angry,” Fitzpatrick said. “I feel like there’s an opportunity I’m about to miss.”
And as a mother, Fitzpatrick knows firsthand how important this shot is. The youngest child, now 5 years old, suffered from RSV when she was 9 months old.
“It was a very difficult time,” she said. “I don’t want this to be dollars and cents. This is my child’s life. But for a lot of insurance companies, it’s dollars and cents.”
Earlier this summer, the American Academy of Pediatrics sent a letter to the CDC and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services urging federal leaders to ensure the vaccine is widely and equitably distributed.
The CDC recently announced that in addition to administering the product, pediatricians can now earn money for counseling families about the drug.
Mr Fitzpatrick also said he would like more clarity on how insurers will cover large claims.
“These are small businesses and they don’t have a lot of capital to invest,” she explained. “It would be helpful if there was some kind of plan where insurers could work with the insurance industry to speed up reimbursements or provide funding in advance.”
In a statement to CBS News, a Sanofi spokesperson said the company recognizes that it may take some time for payers to issue refunds and that “for providers who purchase directly from Sanofi, “We are proposing an extension of Bayfortas’ payment terms,” he said.
“What this means is that providers can order and receive Bayfortus for immediate administration for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season, but will essentially repay Sanofi until RSV season is over. There is no need,” the statement continued.
Molly Fleenor, who will give birth to her second daughter in December, the peak of the RSV epidemic, said she hopes the confusion will be resolved by then.
“It shouldn’t be a guessing game,” Fleenor said. “It’s black and white and it has to be accessible and available to as many people as possible, if not everyone.”
Fleenor will also be covered by the new scheme. RSV vaccine for pregnant women To protect your baby during the third trimester of pregnancy.
Doctors recommend either maternal vaccination or newborn vaccination. Ms. Flinner is still undecided between the two, but she knows she wants them to protect her.
“RSV can be very scary,” she says. “It can change quickly and make kids really sick.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants whose mothers have not received maternal vaccines, especially those at high risk for RSV, receive the new prophylactic antibody.
