Tina Q Tan, MD

RX Review: Evolving RSV Strategies Call for Multispecialty Collaboration

In this special report from HCP Live and Contemporary Pediatrics RX Review, Albert Rizzo, MD, moderates a discussion with Tina Tan, MD, and Joanne Nazif, MD, for an expert discussion on recent developments and persistent gaps in managing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). 

In this clip, Tan reflects on the evolution of RSV prevention strategies since palivizumab’s approval in the 1990s.

 She notes the adoption of nirsevimab in neonatal care led to supply challenges for term infants and emphasizes the need for more data on the durability of immunity provided by the newly approved monoclonal antibody, which targets a narrower RSV epitope.

Tan and Rizzo also advocate for stronger collaboration between pediatricians, pulmonologists, and infectious disease specialists to ensure comprehensive vaccination strategies across age groups. She highlights the importance of protecting not only infants and pregnant women but also older adults who frequently live in multigenerational households and are vulnerable to severe RSV outcomes.

The panel encourages the development of multidisciplinary teams, similar to those in oncology and pulmonary care, to facilitate infectious disease management and preventive care planning. Tan also stresses that RSV is not limited to pediatrics—hospitalization and mortality burdens are highest among older adults—underscoring the urgent need for adult providers to adopt and promote RSV vaccination.

Editor's note: The FDA approved Merck's clesrovimab under the name Enflonsia last month as the latest immunization strategy for infants entering their first RSV season.

RX Review: RSV Prevention Strategies and the Changing Epidemiologic Landscape

RX Review: Clesrovimab, RSV Education, and Immunization Uptake

is chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. Board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, Rizzo serves as the moderator for this panel discussion.

is a professor of pediatrics at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and an infectious disease physician. She is also medical director of the International Patient and Destination Services Program, president of the Lurie medical dental staff at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and president of the Infectious Disease Society of America.

is an attending physician in the division of Hospital Medicine at Children's Hospital at Montefiore. She also serves as an associate professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Rizzo, Tan, and Nazif report no relevant disclosures. 

Resch B. Product review on the monoclonal antibody palivizumab for prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infection. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2017;13(9):2138-2149. doi:10.1080/21645515.2017.1337614

FDA Approves New Drug to Prevent RSV in Babies and Toddlers. News release. FDA. July 17, 2023. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-drug-prevent-rsv-babies-and-toddlers

U.S. FDA Approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA™ (clesrovimab-cfor) for Prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Lower Respiratory Tract Disease in Infants Born During or Entering Their First RSV Season. News release. Merck. June 9, 2025. https://www.merck.com/news/u-s-fda-approves-mercks-enflonsia-clesrovimab-cfor-for-prevention-of-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-lower-respiratory-tract-disease-in-infants-born-during-or-entering-their-fir/

Videos

In this video, the last in a 3-part series, panelists discuss future directions in the field and the importance of multispecialty collaboration.

RX Review: Clesrovimab and RSV Education and Immunization Uptake

In this special report from HCP Live and Contemporary Pediatrics RX Review, Albert Rizzo, MD, moderates a discussion with Tina Tan, MD, and Joanne Nazif, MD, to address critical unmet needs and recent FDA approvals that are shaping pediatric respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) management. 

In this clip, Tan highlights initial shortages of nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody, as a key barrier to broad immunoprophylaxis. Although supply has since improved, she underscores ongoing challenges in ensuring widespread, timely access, especially amid shifting RSV seasonality post-pandemic.

Nazif discusses the recent FDA approval of clesrovimab, a new RSV monoclonal antibody for infants, which joins maternal vaccination and nirsevimab as prevention options. She notes its fixed-dose delivery simplifies administration and offers supply resilience and potential protection against viral mutations by targeting RSV differently. Clesrovimab (Merck) was approved by the FDA last month under the name Enflonsia.

Both experts emphasize gaps in clinician education. Tan stresses the importance of understanding appropriate use of maternal and infant-targeted RSV prevention tools. Nazif addresses the importance of parental communication amid vaccine hesitancy, urging providers to differentiate monoclonal antibodies from traditional vaccines and to reinforce the rigorous safety evaluations these products undergo.

In this video, part 2 in a 3-part series, panelists discuss clesrovimab's recent approval and gaps in clinician education.

In this clip, Tan emphasizes the major impact of RSV prevention tools in the last couple of years, including maternal immunization and monoclonal antibodies like nirsevimab, on reducing disease severity and hospitalizations, particularly in infants. Nirsevimab, sponsored by Sanofi and AstraZeneca, was FDA-approved under the name Beyfortus in July 2023.

 Tan also notes that underutilization of RSV vaccines among older adults continues to contribute to severe illness and admissions in that population.

Nazif adds that treatment for hospitalized pediatric RSV cases remains largely supportive, given the limited efficacy of pharmacologic interventions, and so prevention has become the most effective strategy. She highlights the high disease burden, citing up to 80,000 infant hospitalizations annually due to RSV-induced bronchiolitis.

The panel also addresses epidemiologic shifts post-COVID, including an initial drop in RSV hospitalizations followed by a return to baseline levels. Encouragingly, early data from the 2024–2025 season show significantly reduced hospitalization rates among infants under seven months, particularly in the youngest age group, following widespread use of maternal vaccines and nirsevimab. These trends support a promising outlook for broader prevention efforts.

FDA Approves New Drug to Prevent RSV in Babies and Toddlers. News release. FDA. July 17, 2023. Access July 16, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-drug-prevent-rsv-babies-and-toddlers

In this video, the first in a 3-part series, panelists discuss recent advancements in RSV management.

What resources would you direct pediatricians to that they can share with their patients regarding type 1 diabetes [T1D] and the screening for the condition?

I think for screening for type 1 diabetes, there are a couple of places to go toget great information. I think the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation [JDRF] in New York, New York has a lot of information with their T1 Detect program, which helps people understand what screening means and where to get screened. Again, our Ask the Experts programs at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado, have really similar information to JDRF, is another place that people could go to get information and resources and support. I think those are the 2 places I might start with. But we have links on both of those websites to other organizations and other research programs that also have really valuable information.

What are some takeaway points that you feel are important that those individuals that are watching know regarding what we’ve been discussing?

I think it’s important to know that you do not need to have a family history of type 1 diabetes to develop type 1 diabetes. And that the majority of people that develop type 1 diabetes are completely healthy and don’t seem to have any underlying risk factors. So, whether you have a family history where your risk is increased a little bit, or you’re somebody who doesn’t, it is a possibility for you to get screened for type 1 diabetes and to know whether you’re at risk. And screening is a simple test. It’s a blood draw or a finger poke, and it is widely available. So, families need to decide if that’s the information that they want. If they do want that information, then it is something they have access to. I think that’s really one important part.

Then I think the other important thing for pediatricians, and other physicians and providers, is that you should always have type 1 diabetes on your differential. Because it really can happen in any kid, and it masks quite often as a stomach bug or a growth spurt or some other sickness during the viral season. It’s really easy to miss because of all the respiratory stuff going around, and somebody is a little fatigued and maybe breathing not quite normally. So, it’s always a good idea to go ahead and check urine for glucose or check blood glucose levels and roll it off the differential. And then for families who know that they’re antibody positive, it’s really important to always be monitoring for symptoms and to not just attribute it to a growth spurt or an illness but to always reach out if they’re noticing any of those symptoms.

Should pediatricians incorporate type 1 diabetes screenings into their routine visits for kids of specific ages?

I think that almost all the criteria is there for having T1D be a screening test that’s recommended clinically. I think the one thing that’s still being worked out is the cost-benefit analysis, but I think it would be wonderful from almost every perspective to have it included in the normal guidelines where kids have their vaccinations, their blood and hemoglobin test.

Kimberly, thank you so much for this very rich and informative discussion. I learned a lot about type 1 diabetes and type 1 diabetes screening. I want to thank our viewing audience for tuning in. And if you enjoyed the content of this discussion, please subscribe to our e-newsletters to receive upcoming peers and prospective program announcements and other great content in your inbox.

Kimberly Simmons, MD, provides resources for patients with T1D, and key takeaways for pediatricians screening for and diagnosing T1D in pediatric patients.

Tina Q Tan, MD

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