"U.S. health officials are reportedly questioning the safety of several approved therapies to treat respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in babies. The treatmentsspecifically, Sanofi and AstraZeneca's drug Beyfortus and Merck's drug Enflonsiaare shots that are given to infants in the first months of life to protect against complications from RSV, which is the number one cause of hospitalization in babies in the U.S. RSV typically hits in winter and can cause severe disease and even death in young babies and older adults."
"The scrutiny marks the latest move by federal health agencies to question established vaccines and medications under Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a noted vaccine skeptic. It comes days after a panel of influential vaccine advisors, all of whom were handpicked by Kennedy, voted to rescind the recommendation for a universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, despite what experts decried as a lack of evidence."
FDA officials are investigating the safety of several approved therapies to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants, including Sanofi/AstraZeneca's Beyfortus and Merck's Enflonsia. These monoclonal antibody shots are administered in the first months of life to protect against RSV complications, a leading cause of hospitalization in U.S. babies. RSV typically peaks in winter and can cause severe illness and deaths in very young infants and older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends maternal RSV vaccination between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy during September through January. The scrutiny intensified under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and vaccine skeptics have alleged an increased seizure risk without supporting evidence. FDA officials began investigating the therapies over the summer.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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