What We’re Reading: RSV Vaccine Demand; Permanent Contraception; Drug Negotiation Impact

US Officials Urge Infant RSV Shot Manufacturers to Meet Winter Demand

The Biden administration said in a statement Thursday that it recently met with manufacturers of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations, including nirsevimab (Beyfortus) for infant and toddlers, to increase access to the vaccines, according to Reuters. The officials met with representatives from AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and Thermo Fisher, urging them to work expeditiously to meet immunization demand this winter through the commercial market. Nirsevimab has been in tight supply since US RSV cases began to trend upward sharply in mid-October. The White House noted that, so far, the companies have committed to producing tens of thousands of additional RSV immunizations and sped up the release of 77,000 doses.

More People Turn to Permanent Contraception, Doctors Say

Since the Dobbs v Jackson decision, which took away the constitutional right to abortion, many patients have been increasingly worried about reproductive health care access, causing them to seek more permanent solutions, according to Side Effects Public Media. The Kaiser Family Foundation surveyed more than 500 gynecologists nationwide, and about half of doctors in states with abortion restrictions since the decision reported an increase in the number of patients seeking sterilization or long-acting contraceptives. Physician reports also showed that men’s contraception patterns are changing. A Cleveland Clinic study reported that, during the summer following the court decision, the average age of men getting a vasectomy dropped from the late 30s to mid-30s; the study also showed a significant increase in the number of men under 30, and men without children, seeking vasectomy consultations after the Supreme Court decision.

Drug Negotiations Could Save Seniors Hundreds, Study Says

A Mathematica analysis showed that Medicare prescription drug price negotiations could have cut seniors’ out-of-pocket costs by nearly a quarter had the program been in effect in 2021, according to Axios. Mathematica analyzed the 10 costliest drugs for Medicare Part D in 2021, the most recent year with complete data available. It found that if Medicare negotiated these drug prices, the average out-of-pocket costs for patients with Part D plans would have dropped 23% from $1250 to $967, and the retail prices would have declined at least 63% on average. The analysis also found that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders would see the largest percentage decrease in out-of-pocket spending, while non-Hispanic Black people would have the smallest spending decrease.