Without Evusheld, Immunocompromised People Are on Their Own Against COVID-19

When it comes to avoiding COVID-19 in the U.S., it’s increasingly everyone for themselves. The Biden Administration announced it will end pandemic emergency declarations in May 2023, which will affect the availability of free tests, treatments, and vaccines. But even now, nobody has fewer tools to protect themselves than immunocompromised people. On Jan. 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked emergency-use authorization for Evusheld, a therapy first authorized in December 2021. Evusheld was meant to be used preventatively as an alternative to COVID-19 vaccines for people have a medical reason not to get the shots, or who are immunocompromised and do not mount strong immune responses after being vaccinated. But the therapy—a monoclonal antibody, or a lab-made protein meant to mimic the immune system’s natural response to the virus—has waned in efficacy as the virus has mutated. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The FDA pulled Evusheld’s authorization after concluding that it isn’t effective against the newer circulating variants. It could be re-authorized if it’s shown to be effective against future variants. But for now, one of the only COVID-19-prevention tools meant for the roughly 3% of Americans who are immunocompromised—albeit one that was never widely used—is off the table. “Immunocompromised Americans are screwed,” says Matthew Cortland, a senior fellow at the progressive thin...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 healthscienceclimate Source Type: news