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http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010816/hl/tetanus_diphtheria_shots_2.html
Thursday August 16 2:09 PM ET
CDC: Shortage of Tetanus Vaccine
By APRIL CASTRO, Associated Press Writer
DALLAS (AP) - A national shortage of the tetanus-diphtheria
vaccine has prompted a federal recommendation that physicians delay the fourth
shot of the five-dose regimen until children are 4 years old.
Ordinarily, the fourth shot would be given between 15 and
18 months.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web
sites) has also recommended that schools allow 14-year-old students to put off tetanus-diphtheria
boosters until Aug. 1, 2002.
“It’s recommended that you get it every 10 years,” said
Dr. Richard Adams, director of Health Services for the Dallas Independent
School District. “Since immunity lasts
longer than one year, it’s not really a concern.”
Tetanus, caused by bacteria entering the body through a
cut or wound, can cause serious muscle spasms, lockjaw or even death.
Diphtheria passes from an infected person to the nose or throat of others, and
can lead to breathing problems, heart failure, paralysis or death.
The shortage began after Wyeth Lederle quit making the
booster late last year, leaving When Aventis Pasteur as the only U.S. supplier.
The CDC issued a warning that all hospitals and physicians
reserve the vaccine for patients with wounds and burns, pregnant women who have
not been vaccinated in the last 10 years and those traveling to countries where
the risk for diphtheria is high.
“It is available,” CDC spokeswoman Sharon Hoskins said. “For
the most part, if someone had priority, it wouldn’t take more than 24 hours to
get it. The real message here is to give priority to persons who are at a
higher risk for becoming ill.”
Hoskins expects the supply to be replenished early next
year.
“Parents that got notices before school was out last year
and waited until the last day to come in are still surprised that they can’t
get it,” said Cassandra Mims, assistant director at Dallas County Health
Department. “We printed something up that they can take home and take the
school to show they at least tried to get the vaccination.”
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