12/17/07 — Vaccination lots warnings aren't a concern here, pediatrician says

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Vaccination lots warnings aren't a concern here, pediatrician says

By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on December 17, 2007 1:45 PM

Recent vaccination recalls are not a cause for alarm locally, Dr. Dave Tayloe of Goldsboro Pediatrics said Thursday.

Nationally this week, Merck recalled one million doses of the Hib vaccine for meningitis.

The state's vaccine supply has been affected by the recent recall of 10 lots of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine and two lots of a combination Hib and Hepatitis B vaccine, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Leah Devlin, state health director, said that although the recall affects the state's supply, it does not have a negative effect on the health of children, nor will it require reimmunization of children who have already received the affected vaccine.

The vaccine is being recalled as a preventive measure because Merck, the manufacting company, could not assure sterility for the 10 lots.

Tayloe said his office "doesn't have any of those lot numbers" that were in question.

"People that come to our office do not have to be concerned about this, so it's business as usual."

A shipment of vaccines given out between September and November may have been included on the list, Tayloe continued, but "a memo that came out from the (Center for Disease Control) said any complications from that vaccine would have been local infections in the first week and we haven't had anybody come in with that.

"All of what we were sent it gone, so we just kind of dodged that little bullet."

Tayloe asked that anyone with concerns about vaccines they might have received be directed to contact his office with questions.