GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) -A drug to help prevent a respiratory virus in toddlers and babies was recently approved by the Food and drug administration.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, is similar to the flu and it infects nearly everyone at some point in their lives.
TRENDING: TV20 YOUR MONEY: Preparing your roof for hurricane season
The disease can cause coughing, fever, decrease in appetite, difficulty breathing, and serious lung infections in babies and toddlers.
Dr.Kathleen Ryan, a pediatric doctor at Shands said 2 out of 3 babies in the first year of life will be infected and there are about 100 to 300 deaths every year from RSV.
“We see RSV every year and some seasons are worst than others,” said Dr. Ryan. “Every year we see children that are otherwise healthy and end up in our pediatric ICU at Shands on a ventilator and really sick.”
To combat that, the FDA approved Beyfortus. It’s a drug that provides a defense against RSV to fight and protect children from getting sick.
Beyfortus was approved based on three studies. FDA officials said the drug reduced the risk of RSV from 70 to 75 percent of infants and toddlers under the age of two.
According to Dr. Ryan, no significant effects of drugs have been found in the studies that have been done.
“The only significant side effects are potentially a rash, a little bit of fever in the first 24 hours and then some pain in the injection site, those are the only ones that have been identified.”
CDC officials estimate 58,000 to 80,000 children younger than five, are hospitalized due to RSV infection in the United States.
Dr. Ryan added, “This is a really important advancement especially because it’s going to be available for healthy children and not just children that are high risk.”
In August, FDA officials are expected to make a decision on approving Pfizer’s vaccine for pregnant women, meant to pass along protection to their newborns.
The drug is given as a single dose injection before the RSV season. The price of the treatment has yet to be announced in the U.S.
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Copyright 2023 WCJB. All rights reserved.
