Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - Many doctors and other pediatric practitioners across the country have faced shortages of the potentially lifesaving Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) immunization for kids that was released last year.
That's why U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was in Orchard Park on Monday at Western New York Pediatrics to announce the launch of his two-pronged push calling on the feds and medicine manufacturers to get all hands on deck to ensure doctors across Western New York and the rest of the nation have the support they need to keep children safe.
In a letter to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Schumer said it is imperative that as new doses are expected to be released in early 2024 that those vaccines get to pediatricians on the frontlines, like those in Western New York, who have been seeing these shortages. This is especially the case as recent severe cold weather has increased the risk for respiratory viruses among kids.
Secondly, the senator said it is vital the drug manufacturers work with all levels of the federal government to ramp up supply now, and fix supply chain issues so that all those who need the vaccines are able to get it.
"The release of a brand-new immunization for RSV last year was a gamechanger in the fight against this disease that often terrifies new parents and puts our youngest children at risk. But with recent winter weather increasing risk for respiratory viruses, Western New York pediatricians and parents are justifiably nervous as we have already seen supply not able to meet the demand and we need action now," said Sen. Schumer on Monday. "Parents and doctors should never have to scramble to ensure our children can get a vaccine from RSV. That’s why I’m calling on the CDC, FDA and drug manufacturers to get all hands-on deck and work overtime to release more doses of this vital treatment, and to ensure all new doses get where they are needed most, like our hard-hit Western New York pediatricians on the frontlines."
"As a grandfather to three young children, there is nothing more terrifying than the thought of them getting sick, and a parent should never have to hear there isn’t enough medicine to keep their kid healthy and safe. We must do more to prevent future shortages, and manufacturers need to bolster work with federal partners to optimize their supply chains to make sure families can access this essential vaccine."
Each year, about 1-in-50 infants are hospitalized with RSV before their first birthday, a number of whom end up in an intensive care unit due to the severity of their infection. However, the new preventive antibody treatment is shown to reduce the risk of RSV-related complications by more than 70%.
The Biden Administration has already been putting pressure on RSV vaccine makers to address this problem. Last month, the White House announced an additional 230,000 more doses of the RSV shot for infants would become available, and those are expected to be distributed soon.
Schumer says while this is a critical step forward, manufacturers need to do more to get additional doses out as soon as possible to the hospitals that are most in need.
"Due to the limited availability of RSV shots, our staff was placed in the difficult situation of having to decide which babies would have the opportunity to receive the medication," said Dr. Colleen Mattimore, MD, of Western New York Pediatrics. "It is unfair to have to ration shots for the most at-risk babies when babies are already more susceptible to RSV than most age groups. I have had to send babies to the ER to be treated for respiratory distress due to this shortage. We need to work together to remove this burden from medical practices, medical staff, and parents. Most importantly we need to work together to ensure that there is enough medication available for all eligible babies. We appreciate Sen. Schumer coming here today to help advocate for us and our patients."
"Before last year, parents of young children – especially children born premature or with respiratory issues – largely had nothing to do except pray their child did not get RSV. If they did, in many cases the result was hospitalization, with their child hooked up to oxygen, doctors monitoring their breathing round the clock," Sen. Schumer added. "Thankfully, the new RSV preventive antibody treatment is shown to significantly reduce the risk of severe RSV by more than 70%, and that is why it is critical we ensure it is easily accessible and available across Upstate New York."