Recall of Children's Swine Flu Vaccine

Recently, the pharmaceutical manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur Inc., recalled almost 800,000 children’s doses of the swine flu vaccine. According to federal health officials the recalled swine flu vaccine has lost some of its potency. The swine flu or H1N1 vaccine involved in the recall were single dose vials for children aged 6 months to almost 3 years. Results of the company’s routine testing of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine showed that four batches had lower than required potency levels. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says that the results mean that "doses from these four vaccine lots no longer meet the manufacturer’s specifications for potency." According to one infectious disease expert, the problem with the recalled H1N1 swine flu vaccine is not a safety issue, but rather is a matter of efficacy. The same expert is glad to know that the manufacturer is testing the vaccine after it is shipped, and not forgotten once it goes to market. According to the CDC, the recalled swine flu vaccine passed pre-release safety tests, and children who were vaccinated from these batches don’t have to be revaccinated. The manufacturer is asking that all unused doses of the recalled batches of H1N1 swine flu vaccine be returned.