The FDA and CDC have approved a new medication to protect young infants against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This new medication is called nirsevimab, trade name Beyfortus, and it is a long-acting monoclonal antibody product, which has been shown to reduce the risk of both hospitalizations and healthcare visits for RSV in infants by about 80 percent. Nirsevimab is not an immunization, per se, in that it does not use the body’s immune system to produce its own antibodies against RSV. Rather, it is an injection of long-acting antibodies that directly target RSV.
Nirsevimab has been approved as a single dose for infants 8 months and younger entering their first RSV season – in other words, 8 months and younger beginning in October of 2023. It has also been approved for a small group of older infants and toddlers with increased risk of severe RSV disease, such as children who are severely immunocompromised. It is safe to give with vaccines.
Helpful links about nirsevimab: