RSV drug shortage prompts CDC to adjust recommendations

The U.S. has a limited supply of a new drug to protect babies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to adjust its recommendations for how the treatment should be used in the impending RSV season.

RSV, a common respiratory virus that can cause serious illness in young children, began spreading in Florida and Georgia in late summer, and CDC data suggest that cases have been slowly ramping up elsewhere in the U.S. since then. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug called Beyfortus (generic name nirsevimab-alip) to protect babies from the infection.