ATLANTA, Georgia — As RSV cases continue to rise amongst children and babies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now warning doctors about the limited supply of a newly approved antibody drug for infants and babies to prevent an RSV infection.
The drug is called Beyfortus.
One manufacturer for the drug said despite planning, demand has outpaced supply.
Presently, CDC is recommending doctors to reserve the drug for infants who are at high risk and children under six months with underlying health conditions.
The drug is not a vaccine but acts similar to one by delivering antibodies directly to the blood with an injection.
At Midland Memorial Hospital, the director of Pharmacy said, regarding a shortage for them, that "it's too early to tell but the dosage that is in short supply is an uncommon dosage for them to utilize."
Over in Odessa, the Director of Pharmacy at Medical Center Hospital Erica Wilson said the hospital does not currently have Beyfortus on formulary. However, they do have another drug called Synagis.
Both of those drugs are injections given to prevent sickness from RSV during RSV season.
Synagis is given monthly during the season, while Beyfortus is one shot for the whole season.
According to Wilson, they are discussing with their pediatric and NICU clinicians and looking to potentially add Beyfortus formulary in the future.
There are no medications to treat RSV directly just supportive care but at MCH they are not having issues with providing the care needed at this time.