Certain lots of Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) vaccine which were produced by Merck & Co. have been voluntarily recalled. The recall began on Dec. 13, 2007 and was announced on the Centers for Disease control website on Dec. 20.
Hib is bacteria that can lead to meningitis and pneumonia. In developing countries where the vaccine is not widely available, Hib is still the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia deaths in children.
According to www.immunize.org, the recommended immunization schedule for Hib is 2, 4, and 6 months with boosters between 12 and 15 months, within certain guidelines.
Approximately 1 million doses of the vaccine have been recalled as a precautionary measure. The recall occurred when during a standard evaluation Merck identified some specific lots of vaccine that could potentially be contaminated with Bacillus cereus, a bacteria which is typically related to foodbourne illnesses.
Children who were vaccinated with doses from the affected lots do not need to be revaccinated. Also, sterility tests on the lots have not identified any contamination. According to the Dec. 20 release, Merck has not received any reports of “…abscesses or disseminated B. cereus infection in children who received the vaccines from affected lots.”
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that Merck suspended production of the Hib vaccines and does not expect to resume distribution of these vaccines until the fourth quarter of 2008. There are two other Hib vaccines manufactured by sanofi pasteur and currently licensed and available for use in the United States which remain unaffected by the recall. However, it is possible that sanofi pasteur will not be able to provide vaccinations for all those children who they are recommended for.
“The recommended vaccination schedule for all available Hib-containing vaccines consists of a primary series (consisting of 2 or 3 doses, depending on the formulation) administered beginning at age 2 months and a booster dose at age 12–15 months. Because of the short-term reduction in available doses of Hib-containing vaccines, CDC recommends that providers temporarily defer administering the routine Hib vaccine booster dose given at age 12–15 months except for
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