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March 13, 2002

“Supply of 3 Vaccines Runs Short”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (home.post-dispatch.com) (03/12/02) P. B3

Missouri and Illinois school-age children may fall victim to a shortage of the chickenpox, pneumonia, and the tetanus/diphtheria vaccines in the region.  Missouri Dept. of Health spokesman Sue Denny noted that shortages are more severe in other parts of the nation, but officials are concerned about possible outbreaks of pertussis or whooping cough, as some neighboring states have seen rising numbers of cases.  A spokesman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, P.J. Burtle-McCredie, said, however, that it is not an emergency situation, and vaccine makers expect the shortages to be over by year’s end.

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