SCHUMER: AS UPSTATE NY PEDIATRICIANS FACE SHORTAGES OF NEW RSV IMMUNIZATION FOR KIDS, SENATOR CALLS FOR ACTION NOW; SCHUMER PUSHES HIS TWO-PRONGED PLAN FOR FEDS AND MANUFACTURERS TO GET ALL HANDS-ON DECK TO ADDRESS SHORTAGE AND DELIVER NEEDED DOSES FOR ROCHESTER & FINGER LAKES PEDIATRICIANS AND FAMILIES TO COMBAT RSV

Statement

“Thanks to the revolutionary RSV vaccine that was released last year, we can protect our infants from RSV, but because demand for the vaccine is outpacing supply, pediatricians are having to tell concerned parents they don’t have the doses at their disposal to help their children fight this potentially deadly virus. Families are being told they have to wait weeks or months before they can protect their kids from RSV, creating long periods of worry that new parents should never, ever be subject to, while Rochester pediatricians are also rightfully concerned that without additional doses, RSV cases will spike, landing kids in the ICU and overwhelming nearby children’s hospitals. Doctors should never have to make a choice between who gets a shot and who doesn’t, especially when a game changing vaccine should be easily at our fingertips. The feds need to continue to take action and release more doses ASAP, which is why I’m calling on the CDC, FDA and drug manufacturers to get all hands-on deck and work overtime to release more doses of this vital treatment, and ensure all new doses get where they are needed most, like our hard-hit Rochester pediatricians on the frontlines.
As a grandfather to three young children, there is nothing more terrifying than the thought of them getting sick, and a parent should never have to hear there isn’t enough medicine to keep their kid healthy and safe. We must do more to prevent future shortages, and manufacturers need to bolster work with federal partners to optimize their supply chains to make sure families can access this essential vaccine.
Before last year, parents of young children – especially children born premature or with respiratory issues – largely had nothing to do except pray their child did not get RSV. If they did, in many cases the result was hospitalization, with their child hooked up to oxygen, doctors monitoring their breathing round the clock.Thankfully, the new RSV preventive antibody treatment is shown to significantly reduce the risk of severe RSV by more than 70 percent, and that is why it is critical we ensure it is easily accessible and available across Upstate New York.”

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