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June 24, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Schools Waive Tetanus Booster Amid Shortage; Health Officials Don't Expect Relief Until Later This Year" Kansas City Star (www.kcstar.com) (06/23/02) P. B1; Shepherd, Sara
Kansas and Missouri teen-agers may be able to attend school this fall despite not receiving the mandated tetanus and diphtheria booster since an 18 month-long shortage in the vaccine has prompted the states to waive the restriction. This is the second year that teens have been excused from the booster because of the shortage, and school nurses and health care providers are concerned that so many missed doses will not be caught up once the vaccine becomes available again. Manufacturer Aventis Pasteur said that the combined effects of another major manufacturer dropping production of the vaccine and the time it takes to grow the bacteria used in the vaccine have made it difficult to meet demand. However, the maker expected some recovery to occur during the late summer, though health officials do not anticipate any relief until much later in the year. As a precaution they have been withholding routine boosters for adolescents and adults in an effort to maintain enough in reserve for those considered at most need, including the injured, pregnant women who are due for their ten year booster, and those who never received at least three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis series.
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