Piedmont Pediatrics hopes to get the new RSV immunization this season, but there are many hurdles in our path. When we do, we will post information here on our website and on social media. Please see the excellent summary in the CNN article below:

There’s a new shot to protect newborns from a serious respiratory virus, but parents may not be able to get it
(CNN, October 4, 2023)

“A highly anticipated new shot that can protect newborns from the ravages of respiratory syncytial virus may not be available to some families this season because of uncertainties about insurance coverage.

The new shot, which goes by the brand name Beyfortus, slashed infants’ risk of being hospitalized for RSV by 80% in clinical trials. It promised to be a game-changer for the youngest patients.

But on Wednesday, members of the American Academy of Pediatrics met with CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen for a more somber conversation. Many medical practices say they don’t know how to pay for the shot and may not be able to get it this year. Hospitals too are struggling to figure out how to pay for it.

‘We are so thrilled to have something available, but to then have it be so close but then still not getting it into arms, it’s tragic,’ said Permar, who also works with the nonprofit Protect Their Future, which advocates for kids’ access to vaccines.

RSV season is already underway, and doctors now acknowledge that Beyfortus may not be widely available this virus season.

‘I think it’s really challenging because for the first time in human history, we can prevent RSV in infants, but the ability to get those vaccines or those antibodies is going to be really tough this year,’ said Dr. Buddy Creech, a pediatrician at Vanderbilt University who is also president of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society.

‘We have this wonderful product that was approved in the 11th hour before RSV season, and now we’re trying to roll it out for it to be maximally effective. It may take just a little bit more time.’

Under the Affordable Care Act, most health insurance plans must cover the cost of immunizations like Beyfortus with no cost to patients. But because of a loophole in the law, insurers have a year to add new products to their plans, and it’s not clear how fast they’ll act or how much they’ll cover.”