Hib vaccine recalled

By: Michelle Carolla/WBTW News13 | SCNow
Published: December 13, 2007

More than a million doses of the children's Hib vaccine were recalled Wednesday. This vaccine prevents pneumonia and meningitis. The recall may concern some parents who are already unsure whether to vaccinate their children.

Children receive many vaccinations in the first few years of life. Starting at 2 months old, children are given the Hib vaccine. The manufacturer, Merck and Company told News 13 the vaccine itself wasn’t contaminated, instead, they found a sterilization problem in the Pennsylvania plant where it's produced.

Merck said they don't know how many of the vaccinations, first issued in April 207 were administered. So far they have not received any reports of adverse reactions.

Dr. Tom Petrusick, a long-time pediatrician in Myrtle Beach said parents can't let this scare them away from vaccinations. “Most of us have seen how devastating these illnesses can be,” said Petrusick. “They're still out there, they'll come back if we don't keep vaccinating."

Petrusick said the Hib vaccine changed his practice more than any other factor in the past 20 years. Before the vaccination, doctors would almost routinely perform spinal taps when a child came in with a fever. He said he vaccine changed that.

Dr. Petrusick said controversy over whether vaccines are attributed to problems such as autism is proven invalid and that not getting vaccinations is the real problem.

"There's a certain amount of herd immunity out there and as more and more people don't get vaccinated, that number that have not been vaccinated gets bigger,” claimed Petrusick. “At some critical point in the future, whether it's 10 years or 15 or 20 years, you have enough people that an epidemic can get started.”

Merck issued this statement to News 13. “We are not aware of any adverse experience reports which are clearly attributable to potential product sterility issues involving the recalled lots. We will continue to monitor and will investigate any reports."

Children who received the recalled vaccine do not need re-vaccinated. Merck produces 50-percent of the Hib vaccine. So I asked them if this will cause a shortage and they said they're working on the issue and estimate to re-start production at the end of 2008.

http://www.parenting.com/parenting/article/0,19840,1626131,00.html For more information on Vaccines.