Aventis Pasteur issued a recall of four of its single-dose lots of Menomune vaccine, which protects against four strains of bacterial meningitis.

Aventis Pasteur is an international researcher, developer, manufacturer and supplier of vaccines. Affected lots were issued after Jan. 2, 2001.

University Health Services, which issues the vaccine, did not receive any of the affected lots, said Sarah Campbell, director of University Health Services.

“As a precaution, the company withdrew not only those four lots, but all of the single-dose vials and we did have some single-dose vials,” she said.

The company recommends that anyone who received the vaccine from the recalled and withdrawn lots, and is planning to travel to a high-risk country should contact their health care provider to discuss re-vaccination.

“They tested some of the vaccine to see if it was effective at the 6-month and 12-month point,” Campbell said. “In four single-dose lots, they discovered that at the 12-month point, it did not protect against one of the four strains of bacterial meningitis.”

Symptoms associated with serogroup A, the strain of bacteria not protected against, include severe headache, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, fever, a rash and mental confusion.

The disease progresses rapidly, Campbell said. Someone affected by the disease could experience symptoms in the morning and be near death in the evening.

“There has only been one case of serogroup A meningitis in the United States in the last 10 years,” she said. “So, the people that would need to be concerned are people that were traveling to other parts of the world where they do have epidemics of the serogroup A meningitis.”

Other people who might be affected are those who work in a laboratory or industrial setting, dealing with the serogroup A bacteria, she said.

“It’s fairly rare, but we encourage students to consider the vaccination, because of the fact that it is potentially fatal,” Campbell said.

Even when it’s not fatal, there are sometimes very serious complications that include amputations, organ failure and brain damage, she said.

“I think its important to note that the vaccine still does provide protection against serogroups C, Y and W-135,” Campbell said. “Those are the strains that have been occurring most commonly in outbreaks on college campuses.”

University Health Services is still giving the vaccine with the multiple-dose vials, which provides full protection, she said.

Students can contact University Health Services at 774-6599 or visit the Primary Care Suite in Foust Hall 104, if they have concerns.