2024-10-25 14:27:00
Since the beginning of the immunization campaign, 300,000 newborns have been protected.
Good news for parents of newborns. Nearly one in two children has received the bronchiolitis preventative treatment, Beyfortus, since the immunization campaign began in mid-September, Charles Wolf, Sanofi‘s French director, told AFP. “We have almost protected one child in two, we have exceeded 300 thousand” since the beginning of this second immunization campaign, said this manager, who is also general director of vaccines France for Sanofi, which is developing this product together with AstraZeneca. “There are enough doses” by Beyfortus for “protect all children born from 1 January 2024” in France, he assured, with 600,000 doses expected for France. The group has set a goal of vaccinating 80% of children.
Bronchiolitis, caused primarily by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), causes breathing difficulties in children. It is generally not serious, however it can lead to visits to the emergency room and hospital admissions. A year after using this antibody as a single injection to children, its real-life effectiveness has been well established by the High Authority for Health (HAS). New data, recently presented in public but not yet published in a review, shows that Beyfortus is more than 82% effective up to 180 days or six months after the injection. The dose, at the displayed price of 400 euros without taking into account discounts, is reimbursed up to 30% by health insurance, the rest is covered by the mutuals of the city pharmacy circuit. In hospitals, the antibody is covered with no upfront costs.
Beyfortus (nirsevimab) is a monoclonal antibody developed by Sanofi in collaboration with the British AstraZeneca, holder of the marketing authorization for Beyfortus and responsible for its production. During the first immunization campaign, Beyfortus had to be temporarily reserved for maternity hospitals while waiting for new supplies, despite the enthusiasm that had exceeded expectations. In France, the childhood vaccination campaign for next winter is based on Beyfortus for newborns and children under one year or on Abrysvo (Pfizer) for pregnant women.
#eligible #children #received #Sanofi #preventative #treatment