
We are entering a new age of vaccines. Following the success of COVID-19 mRNA shots, scientists have a far greater capacity to tailor shots to a virus’s structure, putting a host of new vaccines on the horizon.
New immunizations for respiratory syncytial viruses, or RSV, have been introduced in recent months.
These shots are greatly needed, as RSV can be very dangerous, and even fatal, for the very young and old. The shots are expensive. They cost about $300 per adult and up to $1000 for a monoclonal antigen vaccine. Older vaccines are available for pennies.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning to doctors that the shortage of RSV vaccines for infants is due in part to the cost.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]
Get More from TIME
The advent of these new drugs is forcing the U.S. to face anew questions it has long sidestepped: How much should an immunization cost that will possibly be given—maybe yearly—to millions of Americans? The…
