Regional infusion center temporarily closes again due to dose shortage
Published 12:12 pm Monday, February 7, 2022
- County leaders and medical professionals from Jefferson, Orange, Hardin and Jasper counties gathered in August 2021 at the new infusion center in Beaumont. (Monique Batson/The News)
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The Southeast Texas Regional Infusion Center has closed for the second time in as many weeks due to the lack of Sotrovomab, the only one of three monoclonal infusion therapies approved to treat the omicron variant.
Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said Monday that they hope to reopen the Beaumont center, which serves four counties, Thursday afternoon should more doses arrive that morning.
The center, operated by the state, opened last year administering Regeneron. However, in January the Food and Drug Administration revoked emergency use of Regeneron and Eli Lilly treatments as they had shown ineffective against the strain of COVID currently dominating the country.
In January the local center requested 1,000 doses and were sent 126 that week and 84 the following week.
Last week the center temporarily closed due to a lack of Sotrovomab but was able to reopen shortly after with the arrival of the medication.
In early January, the short-supply of doses forced officials to restrict those eligible for infusions to guidelines set last year by the FDA — those with underlying health conditions and/or those at high risk for hospitalization or death.
