Want a COVID antibody cocktail? Monoclonal treatment center opens at Tropical Park
A new monoclonal antibody treatment center has opened in Tropical Park, which also provides COVID-19 testing and vaccination.
South Florida’s other state-run monoclonal antibody treatment centers are at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines and at West Gate Park in West Palm Beach.
The state-run centers are offering appointments for an antibody cocktail manufactured by the biotechnology company Regeneron to help high-risk people stay out of the hospital. The cocktail consists of two investigational medicines, casirivimab and imdevimab, given together at the same time through an IV infusion or four injections.
The treatment, which is under emergency-use authorization, is for people 12 and older who have tested positive and are considered to be “high risk” for severe COVID illness, including hospitalization and death. High risk individuals 12 and older who were exposed to someone who tested positive and are either not fully vaccinated or have an immunocompromised condition that has lowered their immune response to the vaccine are also eligible.
High-risk conditions include diabetes and obesity, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Pregnancy and being older than 65 are also considered high-risk conditions.
The therapy is used to treat COVID-19 within 10 days of the person’s first symptom to reduce the risk of hospitalization. The FDA says it should not be used in people who are hospitalized for COVID-19 or require oxygen therapy due to the disease. It is not a substitution for vaccination.
Speak with your doctor if you have questions or concerns about getting the treatment.
State-run monoclonal antibody treatment centers began opening in August across Florida just as the state was in the midst of a surge of new cases and record-breaking hospitalizations, with many patients said to be younger and unvaccinated.
More than a dozen state-run centers are now operating in Florida.
All of the sites are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments can be scheduled online. Treatment is free and can be given to eligible patients, regardless of vaccination status, according to the Florida Department of Health. No prescription or referral is required.
Anyone who visits a center should expect to be there for several hours. All of the sites are climate-controlled, have seats, and cots for people to lie down, said Dr. Kenneth Scheppke, the state EMS medical director for the Florida Department of Health and the chief medical officer for the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 6:27 AM.
