Vaccine Recall Presents No Safety Concerns for Oklahoma Children

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is recalling 800,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine. About 600 doses of the 800,000 were shipped to four private physicians in Oklahoma County.

The vaccine in question came in pre-filled syringes intended for young children ages six months to three years. The CDC is recalling the doses made by Sanofi Pasteur because that batch of vaccines is slightly below specifications for antigen potency.

Around 70 total private physicians across the state received the vaccines and immediately pulled them from shelves after they were notified.

Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD) Public Safety Chief Phillip Maytubby said Oklahoma children are at no risk.

"As soon as we got the alert about the recall we notified those physicians within minutes and advised them to pull those doses from their refrigerators for shipment back to CDC," says OCCHD Vaccine Coordinator Paula Wall.

The state identified at least 1,800 children who were vaccinated with the lot.

"It's a safe vaccine, it's just less potent. That's the reason the vaccine is being pulled because of potency issues," said Don Blose with the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

The lots passed potency tests when first shipped, but tests show the vaccine lost potency over time. The vaccine is given in two doses about a month apart. Children who've already had the first dose should be okay.

"It still has some efficiency or effectiveness to it if you would. So they are not recommending that anybody, any child that's received any of these lot numbers be revaccinated," Blose said.

But if your child has been vaccinated with the first dose, they still need to follow up with the booster shot. It will come from unaffected lot numbers.

"They will just go through the normal process like they would have normally done anyway," said Phil Maytubby with the Oklahoma City-County Health Department.

State officials say the virus has peaked in Oklahoma... and right now the cases are dropping... but they don't want people to get complacent. They say it could spike again... so now is the time to get vaccinated... there's plenty of vaccine on hand for anyone who needs it.

Read more information on the recall.