key: cord-0077708-c84dnv5f
authors: Passi, Gouri Rao
title: Upper age limit for NEET-UG entrance removed
date: 2022-05-04
journal: Indian Pediatr
DOI: 10.1007/s13312-022-2503-8
sha: 9cd56183f88fc9dea505512ef77ddfeaeaaa116c
doc_id: 77708
cord_uid: c84dnv5f

nan

Nirsevimab is a long acting monoclonal antibody against the fusion protein of the respiratory syncytial virus. In the phase III MELODY trial recently published -a single dose of Nirsevimab reduced the incidence of medically attended RSV infections by 74.5%. The other option so far had been Palivizumab, another monoclonal antibody, which could protect infants for only 1 month and needed 5 doses to cover the entire RSV season. The secondary end point of the trial was hospitalizations. This occurred in 6 infants (0.6%) in the nirsevimab group and in 8 infants (1.6%) in the placebo group (P=0.07). Nirsevimab has also been used in high risk infants with congenital heart disease and chronic lung disease and shown adequate safety and tolerability.

Since the lifting of curbs after the COVID pandemic, there was a spike in RSV infections in 2021. Nirsevimab may offer a ray of hope, especially to high risk premies. (NEJM 3 March 2022)

Since 2017, there had been an upper age limit for appearing in the national eligibility-cum-entrance test for undergraduate training (NEET-UG) in India. It was 25 years for unreserved candidates and 30 years for reserved candidates. This has now been scrapped by the National Medical Commission.

Prior to the NEET, the age cut-off in the AIPMT exam applied to only 15% of the seats. When the NEET phased out the AIPMT, this age limit became applicable to all seats. This was challenged in May, 2018 in the Supreme Court. The petitioners felt the rule was unfair to women and candidates from underprivileged backgrounds, who may not be able to follow the same timeline as others. The removal of the age limit will allow more candidates to apply including those who missed the age cutoff due to delay or postponement of examinations, which occurred in 2021 and 2022. 

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