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July 24, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Getting Needled"
U.S. News & World Report (www.usnews.com) (07/01/02) Vol. 133, No. 1, P. 38; Kelly, Katy
The shortage of tetanus boosters has come to an end. Chickenpox, measles-mumps-rubella, and diphtheria-acellular pertussis-tetanus vaccine shortages are expected to be over shortly. National Immunization Program director Walter Orenstein notes that no disease outbreaks occurred because of the shortages, and he suggests that children make up their missed doses. The shortages did highlight how easily the vaccine supply system can be disrupted. Aventis Pasteur spokesman Len Lavenda indicates that the process of growing live organisms cannot be substantially speeded up to overcome production glitches and other suppliers leaving the market. Congress was told by a panel of medical experts that augmenting vaccine stockpiles and the number of suppliers could help eliminate shortages in the future. Many potential suppliers are turned off by limited profit potential and liability issues.
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