Pregnant Women Seeking RSV Protection Have Choices

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer Inc.'s ABRYSVO™ Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccine on August 21, 2023, for use in pregnant women to prevent lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) and severe LRTD caused by RSV in infants from birth through six months of age, it initiated questions regarding a previous FDA approval.

On July 17, 2023, the FDA approved AstraZeneca and Sanofi's Beyfortus™, a single-dose, long-acting monoclonal antibody (mAb) designed to protect children from LRTD through their first and second RSV season. 

Beyfortus has been approved in Canada, Europe, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

With two RSV prevention solutions approved by the FDA, expecting mothers are seeking guidance on 'best practices.'

Hopefully, the U.S. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting on September 22, 2023, will add clarity to this clinical decision.

Led by Dr. Grace Lee (Chair) and Dr. Sarah Long (RSV Workgroup Chair), this ACIP's meeting agenda will review and opine on preferred recommendations regarding RSV prevention for pregnant women.

Another consideration is 'when' to become immunized.

RSV seasons in the U.S. generally start in Florida and then spread nationwide.

This means that to optimize RSV protection, make a protection selection before this respiratory virus is detected in your area.

The ACIP develops recommendations regarding U.S. immunizations, which are then ratified or not by the CDC's Director Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH.

This ACIP digital meeting is open to the public at this IBM link and starts at 10:00 AM ET this Friday, September 22.