Officials say already administered vaccines should provide
protection despite slightly lower potency
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health
alert Dec. 23 announcing a voluntary recall of 13 lots of
monovalent 2009 (H1N1) nasal spray vaccine manufactured by
MedImmune after tests indicated it does not meet potency
standards.
The San Benito County Public Health Department received 650 of
the recalled doses, which are nasal spray vaccines designed for
healthy persons ages 2 through 49. The voluntary recall does not
change the CDC’s H1N1 vaccination recommendations.
Officials say already administered vaccines should provide protection despite slightly lower potency
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert Dec. 23 announcing a voluntary recall of 13 lots of monovalent 2009 (H1N1) nasal spray vaccine manufactured by MedImmune after tests indicated it does not meet potency standards.
The San Benito County Public Health Department received 650 of the recalled doses, which are nasal spray vaccines designed for healthy persons ages 2 through 49. The voluntary recall does not change the CDC’s H1N1 vaccination recommendations.
The health department staff contacted or is in the process of contacting all healthcare providers who may have received vaccines from the lots on or about Oct. 19. Providers who received the doses from any of the 13 lots can access the following Web site for instructions on how to return any unused vaccines at www.medimmune.com/pdf/H1N1_Recall_letter_122209.pdf
Routine, ongoing testing of vaccine is done before and after it has been shipped to providers. The manufacturer, MedImmune, notified the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration that the potency in the 13 lots of the nasal spray was found to have dropped after the vaccine was distributed. The vaccine in the lots is still expected to be effective in stimulating a protective response despite the slight reduction in the concentration of antigen.
There is no need to re-vaccinate those who received vaccine from these lots. If a child 2 through 9 years old receives a first dose from one of these lots, only a second dose will be required, as is always the case for children in that age range.
For more information, call the CDC’s toll-free information line at 800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4626) or visit the California Department of Public Health’s Web site at www.cdph.ca.gov.
H1N1 flu clinic set
The San Benito County Health and Human Services Agency Public Health Services will host an H1N1 flu clinic Jan. 27, from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building in Hollister. The clinic is open to children ages six months up to adult seniors, and the Public Health staff estimated they will have up to 3,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine to give out.
H1N1 vaccinations are also available from local physicians and by appointment at the Public Health clinics Wednesdays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 637-5367.
