Janet Gilleran, nurse, prepares to administer Bamlanivimab (a monoclonal antibody) to coronavirus patient Mike Mokler at Tufts Medical Center, Boston, December 31, 2020. Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
Tennessee recommends that unvaccinated residents be given monoclonal antibody treatment prioritization.
Because they are less susceptible to severe COVID-19, vaccinated residents are better off.
Monoclonal antibodies are rare as the Delta variant tears through areas that have not been vaccinated.
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Tennessee residents who are not vaccinated have priority access to monoclonal antibody treatment, one of the COVID-19 drugs that has been shown to decrease hospitalizations and deaths.
According to the Tennessean, Monday's recommendation by the state government was that the most vaccinated residents be the last to receive treatment. This can take the form of injections or infusions.
These drugs mimic the body's natural immune system by targeting coronavirus proteins, and thus preventing them entering our cells. In November, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first monoclonal anti-COVID-19 treatment.
The drugs are not available in Tennessee or across the US. This is because the Delta variant continues its spread in states that have low vaccination rates. Even though only 44% of Tennessee's population is fully vaccinated the COVID-19 rates are still above 5,000 per daily in Tennessee.
Since September 13, federal officials have been determining how many monoclonal antibodies each state will receive based on its COVID-19 case count, and how much it uses each week. Last week, the government announced that hospitals cannot order monoclonal antibody treatments directly from AmerisourceBergen wholesale suppliers. This is due to shortages.
Tennessee has asked healthcare workers to prioritise the most vulnerable, namely unvaccinated, partially-vaccinated elderly and immunocompromised patients.
Rodney Rohde of Texas State University's clinical laboratory science program said that it was an ethical dilemma. "I pray that no healthcare professional will ever find themselves in such a situation."
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Rohde stated that the recommendation of Tennessee could be a catalyst for other states to adopt similar guidelines.
He said, "It's a mess if we get into legislating whom to treat."
Vaccines provide better protection than anti-infective drugs
Debbie Bonnett administers the COVID-19 vaccination at a pop up clinic at Maple Leaf Bar, New Orleans, on August 14, 2021. Mario Tama/Getty Images
Seven Republican senators from Tennessee wrote a letter last week to Congress asking for the federal government's "to do everything possible" to increase monoclonal antibody availability.
Experts agree that vaccines are better than nothing. According to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, shots can lower your risk of being hospitalized by 71% to 93% depending on the one you get. Recent research also shows that vaccines can protect against severe diseases for up to six months.
Monoclonal antibodies are used to prevent mild and moderate symptoms from becoming severe COVID-19. They stop the virus replicating by telling the body to make harmless viral proteins. The medication must be administered within 10 days, but ideally three to four days after the symptoms begin.
Rohde stated that monoclonals give you passively protected antibodies, which work immediately on the infection. However, they do not protect you long-term. "Vaccination is important for individuals, because you would need to get monoclonals each time you have a bad experience with viral infections.
He said that "an ounce prevention is better than one pound cure."
Antibody drugs are more needed by unvaccinated individuals than for those who have been vaccinated.
The Regeneron Clinic is a treatment facility for monoclonal antibodies in Pembroke Pines (Florida) on August 19, 2021. Patients wait to be treated there. Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
Three monoclonal antibodies treatments have been approved by the US for emergency use. They are from GlaxoSmithKline and Regeneron. A study of COVID-19 patients found that 3% of those who received Eli Lilly's drug were admitted to hospital. This compares to 10% for those who received a placebo. Similar results were obtained with Regeneron's combination. This suggests that monoclonal antibodies may be able to reduce hospitalizations by as much as 70%.
These drugs are authorized for emergency use under the same conditions as the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The shot from Pfizer has been approved for general use by adults 16 years and older.
Insider was told by Vivek Cherian in Chicago that many of the arguments used to argue against the vaccine's technicality would also apply to monoclonal antibody vaccines. It's very, very innovative. It was developed quickly. Modern science was used to make it possible. People who don't want to be vaccinated will still be able to receive this treatment.
Antibody treatments are more sought-after by people from the south. According to MSNBC, 70% of monoclonal antibody orders received in the last week came from seven states in the south, six of which have the lowest vaccination rates in America.
Unvaccinated individuals are more at risk of severe illness and death than those who have been vaccinated. Therefore, it is sensible to grant them access to anti-malarial drugs first, Cherian stated, even though this policy may seem unfair to unvaccinated persons.
He said, "If you feel that you are doing your part, your duty, and obligation to yourself and your family and society, then you go to hospital and they basically say 'no' since you did your due diligence. I understand why that could leave a bad taste in someone's lips." "But it seems that those who are most at risk, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated, will still be eligible."
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