Top in ID: Pfizer’s RSV vaccine; $3.2B CDC grant for health workforce

Pfizer recently announced that its respiratory syncytial vaccine candidate for older adults, RSVpreF, was granted priority review by the FDA.

The company’s biologics license application submission was based on findings from the phase 3 RENOIR trial, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of a single dose of RSVpreF in adults aged 60 years or older. The vaccine demonstrated 66.7% efficacy against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract illness and 85.7% efficacy against severe RSV-associated lower respiratory tract illness. It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

The second top story was about the CDC’s $3.2 billion investment in the U.S. public health workforce and infrastructure. The investment comes after “the COVID-19 pandemic severely stressed a public health system that was already weakened by neglect and underinvestment,” Melissa Brower, public affairs specialist in CDC’s Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services, told Healio.

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

FDA grants priority review for Pfizer’s RSV vaccine candidate for older adults

The FDA has granted priority review to a biologics license application for Pfizer’s RSV vaccine candidate, RSVpreF, for older adults, according to the company. Read more.

CDC announces $3.2B for public health workforce, infrastructure

The CDC has awarded $3.2 billion to state, local and territorial jurisdictions across the country to improve and grow the public health workforce. Read more.

Fewer than 3% of US ID physicians have waivers to prescribe buprenorphine

Few infectious disease physicians are waivered to prescribe buprenorphine, despite being “well-positioned” to treat opioid use disorder, according to a recent study. Read more.

Hospital linens identified as potential route of contamination in mucormycosis outbreak

Shortcomings in hospital linen reprocessing, delivery and intake were identified as a potential route of contamination in a health care-associated mucormycosis outbreak reported in Arkansas. Read more.

Majority of patients with TB eligible for shortened therapy continued a prolonged course

Many patients with tuberculosis who were potentially eligible for a shorter 4-month therapy were treated with standard 6-month courses, according to a recent study. Read more.