Latest news with #SusanMonarez
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
CDC panel backs broader use of RSV shots
This story was originally published on BioPharma Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily BioPharma Dive newsletter. A panel of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday recommended lowering the age at which some people can receive a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, but stopped short of advocating for booster shots. Committee members voted nearly unanimously endorse vaccination in adults who are 50 to 59 years of age and at a higher risk of severe RSV-related disease. If adopted by the CDC, that recommendation would expand on the agency's current guidance, which suggests use in all people 75 or older and high-risk adults between 60 and 74 years of age. The CDC isn't bound to follow the advice of its committees, though it typically does. The policy would immediately benefit GSK and Pfizer, both of which have RSV shots approved for people under 60. It could also soon help Moderna, whose vaccine the Food and Drug Administration could clear for use in that age group later this year. However, the recommendation comes at a time of uncertainty for the CDC, whose acting director Susan Monarez hasn't yet been confirmed by Congress. The decision to adopt it, then, could fall on Health and Human Services Secretary and prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Additionally, while recommending broader use than before, committee members still didn't endorse vaccinating younger adults or booster shots. In a slide presentation, CDC panelists noted how clinical testing hasn't clearly shown an additional dose can improve protection against disease. Levels of protective antibodies appear to surge higher after revaccination, but not as high as they do after an initial dose. It's unclear how people with weakened immune systems will respond, too, the presentation said. 'There remains important uncertainty in whether revaccination can restore protection to levels seen after the first dose, and this may be more important when developing a recommendation for younger adults who have longer remaining life expectancy,' said Michael Melgar, co-lead of the work group for RSV in adults for the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP. Committee members also highlighted the risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological side effect that was added to the prescribing information for Pfizer's Abrysvo and GSK's Arexvy last year. Advisers will discuss revaccination at a meeting in June. In the meantime, the lack of an endorsement for boosters 'remains a major overhang to the market potential' of RSV shots, wrote William Blair analyst Myles Minter in a note to clients Thursday. Shares of Pfizer, GSK and Moderna all dipped slightly on Wednesday.
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Experts make new recommendations on RSV and meningitis vaccines, but it's unclear what happens next
A federal panel of experts on Wednesday recommended an expansion of RSV vaccinations for adults and a new combination shot as another option to protect teens against meningitis. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also voted to recommend a shot to protect travelers from a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya. But it's not clear who will decide whether to accept those recommendations. The 15-member expert panel makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how regulator-cleared vaccines should be used. CDC directors almost always approve the recommendations. The Trump administration named Susan Monarez as acting CDC director in January, and last month picked her to lead the agency. But while she's awaiting Senate confirmation, she has essentially recused herself from regular duties because of federal law around vacancies, according to two CDC officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss agency matters and feared being fired. That means any committee recommendations made Wednesday may move to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading voice in the U.S. anti-vaccine movement. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson has told The Associated Press he was looking into how the agency would decide on the panel's recommendations. Those recommendations on Wednesday were: — People 50 to 59 should be able to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus have risks including heart disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. — Endorsement of a new combination shot made by GSK that protects against five strains of meningococcal bacteria, including a strain that caused a spate of outbreaks on college campuses about 10 years ago. It would join other products that also target the germs. — Adding a second chikungunya vaccine to the options for Americans age 12 and older who are traveling to countries where outbreaks are occurring. About 100 to 200 cases are reported annually among U.S. travelers. — Adding a new precaution for the older chikungunya vaccine that uses weakened but live virus: People 65 and older should weigh the risks of benefits of that version of the shot, the panel said. The precaution was added after panel members heard about an investigation into six reports of people 65 and older — most of them with other medical problems — who became ill with heart or brain symptoms less than a week after vaccination. The investigation is continuing. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts make new recommendations on RSV and meningitis vaccines, but it's unclear what happens next
ATLANTA (AP) — A federal panel of experts on Wednesday recommended an expansion of RSV vaccinations for adults and a new combination shot as another option to protect teens against meningitis. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also voted to recommend a shot to protect travelers from a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya. But it's not clear who will decide whether to accept those recommendations. The 15-member expert panel makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how regulator-cleared vaccines should be used. CDC directors almost always approve the recommendations. The Trump administration named Susan Monarez as acting CDC director in January, and last month picked her to lead the agency. But while she's awaiting Senate confirmation, she has essentially recused herself from regular duties because of federal law around vacancies, according to two CDC officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss agency matters and feared being fired. That means any committee recommendations made Wednesday may move to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading voice in the U.S. anti-vaccine movement. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson has told The Associated Press he was looking into how the agency would decide on the panel's recommendations. Those recommendations on Wednesday were: — People 50 to 59 should be able to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus have risks including heart disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. — Endorsement of a new combination shot made by GSK that protects against five strains of meningococcal bacteria, including a strain that caused a spate of outbreaks on college campuses about 10 years ago. It would join other products that also target the germs. — Adding a second chikungunya vaccine to the options for Americans age 12 and older who are traveling to countries where outbreaks are occurring. About 100 to 200 cases are reported annually among U.S. travelers. — Adding a new precaution for the older chikungunya vaccine that uses weakened but live virus: People 65 and older should weigh the risks of benefits of that version of the shot, the panel said. The precaution was added after panel members heard about an investigation into six reports of people 65 and older — most of them with other medical problems — who became ill with heart or brain symptoms less than a week after vaccination. The investigation is continuing. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Associated Press
16-04-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Experts make new recommendations on RSV and meningitis vaccines, but it's unclear what happens next
ATLANTA (AP) — A federal panel of experts on Wednesday recommended an expansion of RSV vaccinations for adults and a new combination shot as another option to protect teens against meningitis. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also voted to recommend a shot to protect travelers from a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya. But it's not clear who will decide whether to accept those recommendations. The 15-member expert panel makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how regulator-cleared vaccines should be used. CDC directors almost always approve the recommendations. The Trump administration named Susan Monarez as acting CDC director in January, and last month picked her to lead the agency. But while she's awaiting Senate confirmation, she has essentially recused herself from regular duties because of federal law around vacancies, according to two CDC officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss agency matters and feared being fired. That means any committee recommendations made Wednesday may move to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading voice in the U.S. anti-vaccine movement. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson has told The Associated Press he was looking into how the agency would decide on the panel's recommendations. Those recommendations on Wednesday were: — People 50 to 59 should be able to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus have risks including heart disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. — Endorsement of a new combination shot made by GSK that protects against five strains of meningococcal bacteria, including a strain that caused a spate of outbreaks on college campuses about 10 years ago. It would join other products that also target the germs. — Adding a second chikungunya vaccine to the options for Americans age 12 and older who are traveling to countries where outbreaks are occurring. About 100 to 200 cases are reported annually among U.S. travelers. — Adding a new precaution for the older chikungunya vaccine that uses weakened but live virus: People 65 and older should weigh the risks of benefits of that version of the shot, the panel said. The precaution was added after panel members heard about an investigation into six reports of people 65 and older — most of them with other medical problems — who became ill with heart or brain symptoms less than a week after vaccination. The investigation is continuing. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
NBC News
27-03-2025
- Health
- NBC News
HHS plans to shutter or downsize several health agencies, including at CDC
The Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday it plans to cut 10,000 full-time jobs across several agencies, as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to restructure many parts of the federal government. The cuts, part of the White House's 'reduction in force' plan, were expected to effectively shutter or downsize multiple departments at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies, potentially jeopardizing public health efforts. HHS oversees 13 agencies, including the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. HHS said Thursday that 28 divisions in the health department contain 'redundant units,' and the restructuring plan will consolidate them into 15 divisions. Among the divisions being eliminated or reduced at the CDC, HHS said, are those focused on global health, domestic HIV prevention and prevention from injury, such as gun violence. The administration also made cuts to divisions at other agencies tasked with responding to approving new drugs, providing health insurance and responding to infectious disease outbreaks. The cuts were separate from earlier attempts by government officials to fire thousands of probationary employees at the CDC and other federal agencies. Two federal judges have since ordered the temporary reinstatement of many of those affected workers. Federal health officials had previously said they planned to shift responsibilities from some eliminated departments to other parts of HHS. For example, the Trump administration was considering a plan to move the responsibilities of CDC's Division on HIV Prevention over to the Health Resources and Services Administration, which does its own HIV work under The Ryan White HIV/AIDS program. However, HRSA is primarily focused on the treatment of HIV rather than preventing it, leaving some HIV advocates concerned it could drive back progress on prevention. It was unclear Thursday whether that was still the administration's plan. A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment. Much of the responsibility for the newly downsized agencies at the CDC will likely be left to Susan Monarez, Trump's pick to lead the agency and its current acting director.
