• Arizona: According to state health officials, four related measles cases have been reported in Navajo County, marking Arizona's first measles outbreak of the year. The affected individuals were not vaccinated, and officials from the Navajo County Public Health Services District (NCPHSD) said that they were all exposed through a single source. "Staff at NCPHSD are working closely with [the Arizona Department of Health Services] to monitor these cases and any additional that may arise," said NCPHSD director Janelle Linn. "Anyone who believes they may have been exposed or is experiencing symptoms consistent with measles should contact their healthcare provider immediately for evaluation and testing." So far, there have been 1,168 confirmed measles cases in the United States, with the largest outbreak occurring in Texas during the late winter and spring. Other states with active measles outbreaks include Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, and Oklahoma. (Associated Press/MedPage Today, 6/10; ABC15, 6/10)
• California: GoodRx has launched a new program called Community Link to allow independent pharmacies to directly contract with the company. Historically, GoodRx has partnered with pharmacy benefit managers to offer savings, and a few years ago, the company began partnering directly with large retailers. "The impetus here is we want to extend this offering and what we’ve built with big retail into independent pharmacies, and make sure we can try to build long-standing relations with them," said Aaron Crittenden, president of Rx Marketplace at GoodRx. Through Community Link, pharmacies can access savings deals for over 90 brand medications, which will allow consumers to access the medications at cheaper costs while pharmacies still receive full reimbursement. Community Link also operates on a cost-plus pricing model, which is based on a National Average Drug Acquisition Cost dispensing fee and a GoodRx admin fee. According to Crittenden, the program is "very straightforward on the cost-plus basis" and "in a world where multiple contacts are being played on by [pharmacy benefit managers], this simplifies it drastically." (Gliadkovskaya, Fierce Healthcare, 6/9)
• Maryland: FDA approved a new monoclonal antibody from Merck to treat RSV in infants under the age of 12 months. It is the third monoclonal antibody treatment approved for RSV in infants after Sobi's Synagis and Sanofi and AstraZeneca's Beyfortus. According to STAT, the treatment, which is called clesrovimab and will be marketed under the name Enflonsia, is a single dosage for all patients, which could give it an advantage over similar treatments since doctors won't have to worry about giving the wrong dose to a baby. "We do think that the fact … that we have a single dose for all babies regardless of weight will just help some of those logistical issues that nirsevimab was faced with during its rollout," said Paula Annunziato, Merck's SVP for clinical research. "We start off, we think, with a simpler logistical situation which we believe will make a big difference for providers and families who are seeking Enflonsia this season." CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was scheduled to vote on whether to recommend the use of Enflonsia at its next meeting in late June. However, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently fired the entire committee, then appointed several new members, leaving it unclear how the meeting will function. According to HHS, the June meeting will still take place. (Branswell, STAT, 6/9)

With the respiratory season underway, health systems are facing the triple threat of COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Discover the key challenges of this season and learn how health systems can effectively prepare for its impact and mitigate the strain on healthcare resources.