Originally Published by NJ.com
Cases of RSV are rising in New Jersey, a year after the respiratory virus filled children’s hospitals across the state.
Though doctors are witnessing a growing number of respiratory syncytial virus patients, they are not seeing an avalanche of cases like last fall. That could change, however, as the weather gets colder.
So experts are touting a new RSV immunization for infants they consider a game-changer for reducing hospitalizations. But “unprecedented demand” has led to scant supplies after the busy 2022 cold and flu season.
Supplies are so limited that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert Monday advising pediatricians to prioritize nirsevimab — sold under the brand name Beyfortus — for infants most at risk. In other words, they’re rationing the new drug.
“I don’t think (the rise in cases) is as dramatic as we saw, say, last year,” said Stephanie Silvera, an infectious disease expert and professor at Montclair State University. “And I think what we’re probably falling back into is that more pre-pandemic wave of the expected number of cases and really following a more typical timeline.”
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