Officials say HIB vaccine shortage in Far East poses little risk

[unhappycamper]

Officials say HIB vaccine shortage in Far East poses little risk
Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, August 17, 2008

TOKYO — As military hospitals waited last week for more supplies of the HIB vaccine, health officials said the risk to unimmunized children in Asia is unclear but much less than for children living in other parts of the world.

Military doctors said going without the immunization can cause increased risk of a bacterial infection called haemophilus influenzae Type B.

But they also said the risk is minimal for children in South Korea and Japan where, historically, rates of the infection have been lower than in other parts of the world.

A December recall of the vaccine by manufacturer Merck & Co. has made the injection scarce and has forced some hospitals to ration it.

At some hospitals in South Korea and Japan, the supply is either expended or so low that providers are limiting doses to children 12 months and younger, military officials said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56801



uhc comment: Previous threads on the HIB vaccine -->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=8881
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=16657