More RSV shots for infants on the way

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Nov 17, 2023 View in browser   By Chelsea Cirruzzo and Ben Leonard Presented by Driving The Day RSV shots for infants have been scarce in the U.S., but the CDC is distributing an additional 77,000 doses. | Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images CDC ACQUIRES MORE RSV SHOTS — More than 77,000 doses of a monoclonal antibody shot that protects infants from severe respiratory syncytial virus are headed to providers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday, Chelsea reports. Why it matters: The announcement comes amid a supply shortage that has bedeviled parents and forced the government to recommend rationing the new treatment. Despite the additional doses, the CDC still urges providers to save the shots for children at the highest risk of severe disease. As of Nov. 11, more than 7,000 RSV cases have been reported this season, which started Oct. 1. RSV causes between 58,000 and 80,000 hospitalizations every year among children younger than 5 years old, according to the CDC. The agency said the additional shots were 100-milligram doses for babies who weigh more than 11 pounds. Those doses will be distributed through commercial channels and the Vaccines for Children program, which provides shots to low-income families. What happened: In mid-October, amid unexpectedly high demand, the federal government stopped ordering shots through the Vaccines for Children Program. Sanofi also paused orders of its 100-mg and 50-mg doses, which is for babies under 11 pounds. Orders of the 50-mg doses resumed Thursday, a Sanofi spokesperson told POLITICO, but only on a limited basis to the private market. The CDC resumed ordering through the Vaccines for Children program in late October but has rationed doses, offering them to certain states. Federal officials said Thursday they’re in touch with manufacturers to ensure doses remain available through the end of the year and into early 2024. Officials also urge providers to encourage pregnant people to take the maternal RSV shot, which will protect babies after they’re born. Children’s hospitals have said they’re bracing for a surge of RSV hospitalizations and added the shot’s shortage means preventive measures won’t make much of an impact on this year’s respiratory season. WELCOME TO FRIDAY PULSE. I’m headed into the weekend ready to get cozy and watch the latest (and final) season of “The Crown.” Send your tips, scoops and feedback to ccirruzzo@politico.com and bleonard@politico.com and follow along @ChelseaCirruzzo and @_BenLeonard_. TODAY ON OUR PULSE CHECK PODCAST, host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with POLITICO Europe health care reporter Carlo Martuscelli about the U.K.’s approval of a gene-editing treatment for some rare blood diseases that may receive U.S. approval next month. Listen to today’s Pulse Check podcast   A message from PhRMA: The most profitable 340B hospitals provide the least amount of charity care. A new report shows the top performing 340B hospitals collected nearly $10 in profit for every $1 invested in charity care in 2021. 340B program discounts are meant to help hospitals care for their most vulnerable patients. Instead, 340B hospitals are making record profits while free and discounted care remains low. It's time to reset the balance with 340B.    Public Health More than half of American adults say they'll likely pass on getting this season's Covid vaccination. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images JUST SAYING NO TO COVID VAX — Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults say they won’t get the latest Covid-19 vaccine — with most white Americans saying they “definitely” or “probably” won’t get jabbed, according to the latest survey data on KFF’s vaccine monitor. Why it matters: The public’s interest in Covid is dwindling, even as the holiday season approaches, with three quarters of the public saying they’re “not too worried” or “not all worried” about getting Covid over the holidays. Nearly 6 percent, or more than 20 million, Americans, have gotten the updated Covid shot, according to HHS. Last year, around 17 percent of the public got the bivalent booster, a benchmark the CDC’s director told POLITICO she was realistically aiming for. According to the survey, 59 percent of Black adults and 59 percent of Hispanic adults say they’ve already gotten the shot or plan to. By contrast, 58 percent of white adults say they probably or definitely won’t get the shot.   GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO COP28 WITH GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Get insider access to the conference that sets the tone of the global climate agenda with POLITICO's Global Playbook newsletter. Authored by Suzanne Lynch, Global Playbook delivers exclusive, daily insights and comprehensive coverage that will keep you informed about the most crucial climate summit of the year. Dive deep into the critical discussions and developments at COP28 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     MEASLES UP AS VAX DIPS — Measles cases are rising worldwide and killing mostly children, according to a new report by the World Health Organization and the CDC, Chelsea reports. In 2022, an estimated 9 million measles cases and 136,000 deaths, primarily among children, were reported globally. That’s an 18 percentage point increase in cases from 2021 to 2022 and a 43 percent increase in deaths. The rise in cases comes after years of declines in measles vaccination rates. In 2022, 33 million children missed a dose of the two-dose vaccine, putting the global vaccination rate at 83 percent for the first dose and 74 percent for the second, well below the 95 percent coverage rate needed to protect communities from outbreaks. Why it matters: “The increase in measles outbreaks and deaths is staggering, but unfortunately, not unexpected given the declining vaccination rates we’ve seen in the past few years,” John Vertefeuille, director of the CDC’s Global Immunization Division, said in a statement. Reported measles cases in the U.S. remain low, with 41 reported so far this year, according to the CDC. What’s next? The two health agencies are part of an initiative to provide vaccines against measles to children worldwide. WOODCOCK SET TO RETIRE — Longtime FDA regulator Janet Woodcock, who has worked at the agency since 1986, plans to retire in early 2024, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told agency staff Thursday. Califf’s all-hands email to FDA staff came hours after POLITICO first reported the news of Woodcock’s retirement plans. The regulator — who close watchers of the agency describe as a tour de force — most recently has served as principal deputy commissioner. "A legend in every sense of the word, Janet has made an indelible mark on so many of us, and on public health," Califf said in the email. During the pandemic, Woodcock helped spearhead the government’s work on Covid-19 therapeutics — a role she stepped into after leading the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research for the second time. “No part of the agency is untouched by her energy, determination and vision,” Steven Grossman, executive director of the advocacy group Alliance for a Stronger FDA, said. Near the end of the Obama administration, Woodcock faced criticism for her support of Sarepta Therapeutics’ drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which was approved despite opposition from FDA staff reviewers.   A message from PhRMA:   Names in the News Dr. Kofi Essel is now the food as medicine director at Elevance Health. He previously directed the George Washington University Culinary Medicine Program. Zach Sentementes has been promoted to senior director of federal advocacy at PhRMA.   A NEW POLITICO PODCAST: POLITICO Tech is an authoritative insider briefing on the politics and policy of technology. From crypto and the metaverse to cybersecurity and AI, we explore the who, what and how of policy shaping future industries. We’re kicking off with a series exploring darknet marketplaces, the virtual platforms that enable actors from all corners of the online world to traffic illicit goods. As malware and cybercrime attacks become increasingly frequent, regulators and law enforcement agencies work different angles to shut these platforms down, but new, often more unassailable marketplaces pop up. SUBSCRIBE AND START LISTENING TODAY.     WHAT WE'RE READING STAT reports on the high rate of untestable samples sent via at-home colon cancer screening tests. KFF Health News reports on the struggle to get children into long-term behavioral care.   A message from PhRMA: 340B hospitals charge patients more. The average costs per prescription for a patient was more than 150% greater at a 340B hospital. 340B program discounts are meant to help hospitals care for their most vulnerable patients. Instead, 340B hospitals make record profits while patients often pay more. It's time to reset the balance with 340B.     Follow us on Twitter Dan Goldberg @dancgoldberg Chelsea Cirruzzo @chelseacirruzzo Katherine Ellen Foley @katherineefoley Lauren Gardner @Gardner_LM Kelly Hooper @kelhoops Robert King @rking_19 Ben Leonard @_BenLeonard_ David Lim @davidalim Megan Messerly @meganmesserly Alice Miranda Ollstein @aliceollstein Carmen Paun @carmenpaun Daniel Payne @_daniel_payne Evan Peng @thepngfile Ruth Reader @RuthReader Erin Schumaker @erinlschumaker Megan R. Wilson @misswilson   Follow us

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