http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/healthscience/134399900_morevaccinations05.html
Tuesday,
February 05, 2002 - 12:00 a.m. Pacific
The latest on vaccinations
By Judith
Blake
Seattle Times staff reporter
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Here's an
update on other vaccine developments, including some recent significant
improvements:
• Mercury. Formerly used as a preservative in
some vaccines, mercury is no longer used in any of them, says the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (The Food and Drug Administration,
concerned about unsafe mercury levels for children, urged its removal.) At
least one class-action lawsuit has been filed claiming a link between mercury
in earlier vaccines and neurological disorders; it remains unsettled. Some
doctors could be using old supplies, so ask for the mercury-free kind.
Particularly of interest is the DTaP (diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis) because
there is a shortage of the mercury-free kind of that vaccine.
• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis.
The vaccine DTaP,
made with a killed virus, is now used instead of the older, live-virus DTP. The
newer formula is less likely to cause an adverse reaction. Again, although it's
unlikely, a few doctors may still be using up old DTP supplies, so ask for
DTaP.
• Hepatitis B. Washington requires hepatitis-B
immunization for all children before school or day-care entry, and health
officials recommend it be given before age 2, as with other vaccinations.
Waiting until later, they reason, increases the chance parents won't get around
to having their child immunized. But some parents point out that, since
hepatitis B is transmitted primarily by sexual contact, immunization is not
needed in infancy. Since babies are subject to so many other vaccines, they
seek to reduce the number of shots at that age by having their child get the
hepatitis B vaccine later.
• Polio. Vaccine made with a dead virus and
given by needle has replaced the oral vaccine made with a live virus. The
dead-virus version completely eliminates the possibility of anyone getting
vaccine-caused polio, said a CDC spokesman. With the oral vaccine, about four
to five cases of vaccine-caused polio occurred annually. The spokesman did not
know of any doctors using the oral vaccine today.
Copyright © 2002 The Seattle Times Company
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INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.