By Lezlee Whiting
Deseret News correspondent

      ROOSEVELT — Some children who received their shots at pediatricians' offices in Roosevelt will need to be re-immunized for childhood diseases because the vaccines they received over the past four years may be ineffective.
      A routine inspection of the refrigerator used to store the vaccine discovered the temperature to be "at a level that could have compromised the vaccines' viability," said Brad LeBaron, chief executive officer of Uintah Basin Medical Center.
      The Utah Department of Health and Uintah Basin Medical Center recently identified a vaccine storage problem at UBMC during a quality assurance review.
      Joseph Schaffer, director of the TriCounty Health Department, said that approximately half of all childhood immunizations administered in Duchesne County are given by doctors on staff at the UBMC.
      Children who received their immunizations at TriCounty Health Department offices are not affected by the vaccine-storage problem, he noted.
      A refrigerator where a portion of the hospital's childhood vaccines were stored was found to be operating at lower-than-recommended temperatures, which might have compromised that vaccine's effectiveness.
      "Most vaccines, with the exception of those for varicella (chicken pox) and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), are to be stored between 36 and 44 degrees Fahrenheit. Studies have shown that when most vaccines are stored at below-freezing temperature, they may lose potency and may not provide full protection against the infectious diseases which they are designed to prevent," LeBaron explained.
      The hospital has set up additional safeguards to prevent the storage problem from occurring again, he said.
      The temperature discrepancy was revealed about two weeks ago, but according to hospital records, it may go back to 1998. It includes childhood vaccines the hospital received through the state's Vaccines for Children program. Tetanus, pertussis, diphtheria, polio, HIB and hepatitis A and B are the vaccines that would have been compromised by the improper storage temperature setting.
      "We could document four years back, during episodes of time, when it went below the recommended threshold," LeBaron said.
      LeBaron said the individuals responsible for the mix-up will not be terminated.
      "We don't beat up people. We try to fix processes," LeBaron said. "I think everyone involved feels terrible." The Utah Department of Health and Uintah Basin Medical Center are working together to match the affected vials of vaccine with patient immunization records to determine who would need to be re-immunized.
      "Our goal is to ensure that our patients are fully protected from these childhood infectious diseases. We are taking every step necessary to ensure that families are contacted and to encourage that they come back to get the needed shots." According to LeBaron, pending a meeting this week with health department officials, there is no way to tell how many children were affected. It is known that the vaccine recall will include children seen by pediatricians Amy McNelis, Teresa Stewart, Greg Staker and Shannon Staker. No other provider's vaccine was affected, LeBaron said.
      LeBaron said the incorrect temperature storage issue was the result of "user error."
      "We were monitoring temperatures very religiously. We just didn't know they were outside of the accepted range," he said.
      While such mistakes are not common, they do happen, said Linda Able, immunization program manager for the state health department.
      Most vaccinations are performed in private pediatric practices across Utah and through the state's dozen local health departments. So, the health department, through the federally funded Vaccine for Children Program, conducts site visits to offices that supply vaccinations as an educational campaign to make sure medical staff are abiding by the manufacturer's guidelines on immunization storage.
      "There are no clinical indications to make us think the vaccines were ineffective. In fact, there have been no reported cases of any of these diseases at all," said Dr. Greg Staker, UBMC chairman of medicine.
      "This is not bad vaccine. It's a storage issue. It (improperly stored vaccine) won't hurt you, it just won't achieve the desired effect on you."
      If re-immunization is indicated, the Uintah Basin Medical Center will notify the child's parents within the next four to six weeks by telephone or by certified letter, if necessary.
      The hospital will hold special immunization clinics to accommodate those who need to be re-immunized.
      Some immunizations are controversial because of the possible side effects. But health officials say there is no more risk from receiving additional vaccine boosters than from the original vaccination.
      Judy Stevenson has a 3-year-old daughter who has received all of her immunizations at the pediatrician's office. She also operates a child day care. She said she will wait for her letter and then head back in for more shots.
      "We just have to take this in stride and go with it. My daughter has been so healthy and the kids in my day care have been healthy. It obviously wasn't an intentional thing," Stevenson said.
      A re-immunization program will be conducted by UBMC with the assistance of the UDOH and the TriCounty Health Department. For those who are re-immunized, UBMC will offer the shots at no cost and will provide $5 in gas money per family for the inconvenience.

Contributing: Norma Wagner
E-MAIL: state@desnews.com