eli5 “Monoclonal antibody products should not be used to treat children already infected with RSV.“

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I asked here in case there is a complex medical explanation. My only guess is that the answer is simple, such as “would be a waste of an injection and exposing staff to RSV.”

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With any medication or treatment, it is important to weigh the risks and the benefits.

In this case, because it can prevent illness in high-risk children, the risk of severe allergic reactions and the high cost (up to $1200), the benefits outweigh the risks.

Because it hasn’t been shown to help fight illness, only prevent it, there are no actual benefits and only risks if given to a child who is currently infected.

Monoclonal antibody therapies have a lot of risks associated with them and are known to cause severe allergic reactions in people who are otherwise healthy (unlike vaccines, which have a much better overall safety profile).

These treatments also “miss”. Because it is one specific antibody that is being introduced to the body, any changes to the virus may render it completely ineffective. Sotrovimab (the COVID treatment that was touted as a magic cure by social media personalities) was effective for less than a year.