"Parents' Frustration: Obtaining Preventive RSV Antibody for Newborns Proves Challenging"
Parents in France are struggling to obtain the new preventive antibody, Beyfortus, for their newborns to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common infection that can cause severe illness in infants. The high demand for the antibody, which is the first widely available intervention for RSV, has led to limited supply and prioritization for certain newborns. The French government has reserved doses for maternity wards, while the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends prioritizing newborns at risk of severe RSV disease. The antibody has shown promising results in reducing severe RSV cases, and it is hoped that it will help reduce hospitalizations for RSV and bronchiolitis.