What We’re Reading: RSV Vaccine Approval Extension; Pharmacy Staffing Shortage; Downplaying Measles Dangers

FDA Reviews Extension of RSV Vaccine Approval to Older Adults

The FDA has accepted GSK’s application for priority review for extended use of Arexvy, its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, in adults aged 50 to 59 years who are at higher risk for complications, according to CIDRAP. Arexvy is currently approved for use in adults aged 60 and older, and it would be the first RSV vaccine recommended for use in people aged 50 to 59 years if approved. In a press release, GSK explained that its application is supported by promising phase 3 trial results of patients in the targeted age group; the FDA is expected to decide by June 7, 2024. Drug regulators in the European Union and Japan are also reviewing GSK’s applications for Arexvy use in higher-risk people aged 50 to 59 years.

Pharmacies Struggle With Staffing Shortages

Pharmacy retail chains are finding it harder to draw the next generation of pharmacists amid turmoil in the industry, preventing their goal of expanding their health care services, according to Axios. These pharmacy chains aim to become go-to providers for vaccinations, patient monitoring, and prescribing, but these goals are threatened by workforce shortages and burnout. Because of the staffing shortages, pharmacists have increased workload demands, which have resulted in widely publicized staff walkouts. In response, national retailers are investing heavily in automation and micro-fulfillment centers to streamline and eliminate some tasks. The shortage is also due to a dwindling talent pipeline from pharmacy schools as applications fell 64% from nearly 100,000 in 2012 to about 36,000 in 2022. Consequently, Walgreens recently announced a partnership with pharmacy school deans at 17 universities to better align training with the changing pharmacy business model and address the industry's image problem.

Antivaccine Movement Downplays the Dangers of Measles

As measles outbreaks spread throughout the world, antivaccine activists are falsely downplaying the dangers of the highly contagious respiratory disease, according to NBC News. Last week, the CDC issued an advisory for providers to stay alert for measles cases, as there have been 23 confirmed cases since December 1, mostly among unvaccinated children. In response, antivaccine activists and influencers have created posts warning their audience not to buy into the hype. Also, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, founder of the antivaccine organization Children’s Health Defense, has made light of measles for years and suggests that pharmaceutical companies were ignoring harms from the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine to “make permanent customers” of injured children; these claims are false. National health agencies explained that the fear of measles is well founded, as it could cause children to be hospitalized, get pneumonia, develop brain swelling, or die.