"RSV Vaccines: A New Tool for Parents to Fight Respiratory Syncytial Virus"

The CDC's vaccine advisory committee is considering recommending Pfizer's maternal RSV vaccine, which gained FDA approval in August, to provide additional protection against the virus for infants. If approved, it would be the second tool available to protect infants against RSV, which causes thousands of hospitalizations and deaths in children under 5 each year. The maternal vaccine may be easier to distribute as it can be administered during pregnancy, but some pregnant individuals may miss the window for vaccination. An alternative option is the monoclonal antibody, which is ideal for babies who cannot receive the maternal vaccine. The rollout of the monoclonal antibody may be more challenging due to billing processes. Some infants may be candidates for both shots. In other news, Rep. Morgan Griffith supports allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices through a competitive bidding process, and the Senate HELP Committee has advanced a package to bolster primary care access. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf is on a global tour, meeting with health officials in India and Singapore. The Reagan-Udall Foundation plans to release a report on how the FDA can combat misinformation effectively, and Steve Tilton has been named the new head of federal advocacy for PhRMA.