Merck Meningitis Vaccine Recalled
Infant Hib Vaccine Is Pulled While New Jersey Votes It Mandatory
As New Jersey awaits their health commissioner to sign off on mandatory vaccination of school children for meningitis, 1 million doses of the vaccine are being recalled.
Merck & Co. is the maker of the Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccine, given to young children to prevent pneumonia and meningitis. There is some concern that the vaccine may be contaminated with bacteria. The doses that have been given effectively protect against meningitis in the children that have received them and no cases of illness have been reported, but the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and FDA announced the recall of 1 million doses amidst concerns about the product’s sterility. Children who recently received the vaccine and show symptoms at the injection site, such as skin bumps or abscesses, should see a doctor. The brand names affected by the recall include PedvaxHIB and
COMVAX.
New Jersey's Legislative Action To Make Meningitis Vaccine Mandatory
The recall comes on the heels of the New Jersey Public Health council’s vote to make meningitis vaccines mandatory for middle school age students beginning September 2008. The vaccine is one of four vaccines in the mandate; the others are the flu and pneumococcal vaccines for preschoolers and whooping cough boosters for middle schoolers. The vote was 5-2 with one abstention due to questions over the safety of giving so many doses of vaccine to children. It is expected that the state’s health commissioner, Dr. Fred M. Jacobs, will sign off on the mandate despite concerns and objections from parents. The recall will most likely not affect those wanting or required to receive the meningitis vaccine. The vaccine recommended for middle school aged children is made by Sanofi Pasteur.
The Risks of Meningitis Versus The Risks of The Vaccine
Meningitis is a bacterial infection that attacks the brain and spinal cord lining, called the meninges. According to the CDC, meningitis affects 1,400 – 2,800 people a year in the United States and 10-14% of them may die from the infection even with rapid and appropriate medical care. According to the guidelines announced in July 2007, the CDC recommends that all adolescents be vaccinated against meningitis. The vaccine potentially prevents 70% of meningitis cases.
Each year in the United States fewer than 400 people die from meningitis; mass vaccination would prevent approximately 1,900 cases, effectively cutting the death figure by half. However, in 2000 there were 16,000 cases of adverse side effects to the meningitis vaccine in the UK where vaccination had recently become mandatory. The UK Committee on Safety of Medicines reported that the number of meningitis cases only dropped 18% from 1,500 per year despite giving 15 million doses of vaccine to adolescents. The vaccine could be expected to adversely affect less than a fraction of 1% of those who receive it, but would prevent only 500 cases of meningitis in the United States, fewer than those who experience side effects.
