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The U.S. took a big step toward making the first vaccines that protect against respiratory syncytial virus available to older adults.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee recommended that adults ages 60 and above, after consulting their doctors, receive a single dose of an RSV shot from Pfizer or GlaxoSmithKline.
Outgoing CDC director Rochelle Walensky will decide whether to finalize that recommendation.
It remains to be seen how often seniors should receive RSV jabs to stay protected.
But both Pfizer and GSK unveiled late-stage clinical data suggesting that their vaccines generally maintain protection against RSV after one season of the virus, which in the U.S. typically lasts from October to March.
As the country prepares for a new slate of vaccines, the pharmaceutical industry’s legal fight against Medicare drug negotiations continues to heat up.
PhRMA, the industry’s largest lobbying group, and two other organizations sued the Biden administration over Medicare’s new powers to slash drug prices for seniors under the Inflation Reduction Act.
It is the fourth lawsuit challenging the controversial provision, which aims to make drugs more affordable, but will likely reduce pharmaceutical company profits.
Legal experts say the industry is ultimately aiming to take its battle to the Supreme Court and strike down the law, Spencer reports for us.
Meanwhile, Bertha reports that officials from the Department of Health and Human Services defended the fairness of the Medicare negotiation process.
Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to me at annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com” style=”text-decoration: underline; color: #0068A5;”>annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com.
