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Back in September, VCU staff at Children’s Hospital of Richmond were optimistic that they would receive enough doses of the new Bayfortas (Nilcevimab) vaccine to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus infection this season. . RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States
But by the end of October, CHOR had received only 90 of the 50-milligram doses and 15 of the 15-milligram doses out of the 200 doses requested. The 50 mg dose is designed for newborns, and the 15 mg dose is for older babies around 4 to 6 months of age. CHoR staff estimated that a total of at least 3,000 vaccinations would be needed annually.
“What we learned is that we were unable to fulfill the initial order, and the company informed us that they were unable to fulfill any future orders,” the hospital said. Pediatrician Dr. Tiffany Kimbrough told VPM News. “So whatever we get at the beginning of the season is going to be what we need to get through it.”
For Kimbrough, that means not all infants will be able to be vaccinated, and a large proportion of healthy infants will remain unvaccinated against RSV.
“What we did was we moved to an allocation model where we thought about which infants were most at risk of being hospitalized with RSV infection and tried to protect those infants,” Kimbrough said.
That meant prioritizing babies with heart and lung disease, as well as premature babies. Kimbrough said he has given about 50 Bayfortus injections to infants being discharged from the NICU. The hospital was also able to bring some newborns back to receive the vaccine through a separate allocation for Medicaid beneficiaries through the Virginia Children’s Vaccine Program (VVCP).
VVCP has received a total of 6,160 50mg doses and 2,770 100mg doses across the state so far, with more doses expected to be administered this winter, according to a Virginia Department of Health spokesperson. There is no such thing.
In November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expedited the release of 77,000 additional doses, but Kimbrough isn’t sure whether CHOR will receive any additional doses from this new batch. If that happens, it is unclear when vaccines will arrive.
“Unfortunately, there are no plans for additional doses this season, as manufacturing takes many months,” Kimbrough said. “But considering how many kids really wanted it this year, I really hope they can better understand the market demand and meet the needs next season.”
Dr. Drew Barber, a pediatric pulmonologist at VCU Health, says that for babies who won’t be able to get vaccines this winter, parents should monitor how hard their baby is breathing and adjust the way they breathe. He said if there is a significant change, you should visit a hospital. doctor.
“Retraction means you’re working harder to breathe, and you’re using other muscles to draw in air, so it’s like the skin under your ribcage and neck is sinking down. I can see it,” Barber said. “Alternatively, you may see the nostrils dilate.”
Another version of the RSV vaccine, called Abrysvo (RSVpreF), is now more readily available to pregnant mothers and has been shown to significantly reduce infant hospitalizations when administered between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. I am.
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