WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel appointed under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted Thursday to endorse a new vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) aimed at infants in the United States.
The panel voted to recommend Merck’s vaccine, Enflonsia, for infants during their first RSV season.
The decision marked the first vote by the panel since changes in its composition under the Trump administration. The recommendation includes the vaccine in a government initiative that offers free vaccines to eligible children.
Discussion during the meeting addressed the safety and efficacy of Enflonsia, with some members expressing reservations and others supporting its FDA approval. The vaccine will compete with a similar product from Sanofi and AstraZeneca.
The panel’s decision provides relief to drugmakers and the medical community concerned about infant hospitalizations due to RSV, a common respiratory illness.
