(Washington) An advisory group of experts appointed by the American Secretary of Health, Robert Kennedy Jr, voted for the first time on Thursday to recommend a new preventive treatment against a respiratory virus, the main cause of hospitalization in infants in the United States.
The Secretary of Health, known for his vaccinosceptic positions, had recently returned the 17 members of the Consultative Committee on Vaccination Practices (ACIP) by accusing them of conflicts of financial interests. He had announced the appointment of eight new heads, several of which are decried.
This vote is the first in the AIPI, a key body that advises CDCs, forming the country’s main health agency.
The Clesrovimab, marketed under the name of Enflonsia by the Merck laboratory, recently received the green light from the American Medicines Agency (FDA) for infants.
It was designed to protect babies from the syncytial respiratory virus (VRS), responsible for bronchiolitis and very widespread and contagious.
Clinical trials have shown that treatment was safe and effective in significantly reducing VRS infections and hospitalizations in infants.
The committee recommended that this treatment be administered to infants less than eight months, which were not already protected by the vaccine injected into the mother during pregnancy.
Five members of the Committee voted for, and two of them opposed: Retsef Levi, a MIT teacher who questioned the security of the vaccines against COVID-19 and Vicky Pebsworth, a nurse and member of an antivaccin organization.
“I just want to clarify that my objection is based on the fact that I do not think this product is ready to be injected into healthy babies. I think we should adopt a more cautious approach, ”said Retsef Levi to explain his choice.
