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H1N1 vaccine recalled in state
<!--subtitle--><!--byline-->By Arielle Levin Becker
McClatchy-Tribune
<!--date-->Posted: 12/16/2009 10:19:01 PM EST
<!--secondary date-->Updated: 12/16/2009 10:30:20 PM EST
Nearly 8,000 doses of pediatric H1N1 vaccine distributed in Connecticut are part of a nationwide recall prompted by tests showing that the vaccine lost potency.
State and federal health officials say that there are no safety concerns associated with the recall and that children who received the recalled vaccine will not need to be revaccinated.
The recalled vaccine was made by Sanofi Pasteur and distributed in prefilled syringes meant for children aged 6 months to 35 months. The company recalled about 800,000 doses; of those, 7,800 were distributed to 62 health care providers in Connecticut between Nov. 11 and Nov. 30, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The state health department has notified those providers about the vaccine. The manufacturer will also be notifying them about how to return any vaccine that has not been used, according to the health department.
The recall was prompted by concerns about the vaccine's strength, not its safety.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that parents of children who received the recalled vaccine make sure their children complete the two-dose immunization, but said they do not need to take any other action. All children under 10 must be vaccinated two times, one month apart, to be protected from the H1N1 virus, whether they received the recalled vaccine or not.
Sanofi Pasteur, based in Lyon, France, recalled the pediatric H1N1 vaccine after tests showed that the potency of one batch of vaccine had dropped below a set limit after it was manufactured.
Additional tests revealed that three other batches that were distributed had also lost potency since being manufactured, falling below manufacturer specifications for the vaccine, according to the CDC.
The company also distributed the same vaccine in other forms, including prefilled syringes for older children and adults, and multidose vials. Those still meet specifications, according to the CDC.
More information is available at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/syringes--qa.htm.
People with questions may also call the state health department's H1N1 hot line, which is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 1-800-830-9426.
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/localnews/ci_14013317?source=rss
<!--subtitle--><!--byline-->By Arielle Levin Becker
McClatchy-Tribune
<!--date-->Posted: 12/16/2009 10:19:01 PM EST
<!--secondary date-->Updated: 12/16/2009 10:30:20 PM EST
Nearly 8,000 doses of pediatric H1N1 vaccine distributed in Connecticut are part of a nationwide recall prompted by tests showing that the vaccine lost potency.
State and federal health officials say that there are no safety concerns associated with the recall and that children who received the recalled vaccine will not need to be revaccinated.
The recalled vaccine was made by Sanofi Pasteur and distributed in prefilled syringes meant for children aged 6 months to 35 months. The company recalled about 800,000 doses; of those, 7,800 were distributed to 62 health care providers in Connecticut between Nov. 11 and Nov. 30, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The state health department has notified those providers about the vaccine. The manufacturer will also be notifying them about how to return any vaccine that has not been used, according to the health department.
The recall was prompted by concerns about the vaccine's strength, not its safety.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that parents of children who received the recalled vaccine make sure their children complete the two-dose immunization, but said they do not need to take any other action. All children under 10 must be vaccinated two times, one month apart, to be protected from the H1N1 virus, whether they received the recalled vaccine or not.
Sanofi Pasteur, based in Lyon, France, recalled the pediatric H1N1 vaccine after tests showed that the potency of one batch of vaccine had dropped below a set limit after it was manufactured.
Additional tests revealed that three other batches that were distributed had also lost potency since being manufactured, falling below manufacturer specifications for the vaccine, according to the CDC.
The company also distributed the same vaccine in other forms, including prefilled syringes for older children and adults, and multidose vials. Those still meet specifications, according to the CDC.
More information is available at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/syringes--qa.htm.
People with questions may also call the state health department's H1N1 hot line, which is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 1-800-830-9426.
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/localnews/ci_14013317?source=rss