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H1N1 vaccine recall not problem here

Health officials say none of the 800,000 H1N1 doses recalled  were distributed in area.

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By Tiffany Y. Latta, Staff Writer 12:57 AM Wednesday, December 16, 2009

MIDDLETOWN —Middletown Health Department will host an H1N1 flu clinic for the general public Saturday, Dec. 19, at Miami University Middletown.

The free clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Johnston Hall, 4200 N. University Blvd.

“We have about 3,000 doses, but we’re not expecting use all of the vaccine,” said Jackie Phillips, nursing director for Middletown.

Phillips said interest in the vaccine has waned in the last few weeks along with the number of reported illnesses. But she stressed that residents not become complacent because flu will likely spread during the holiday season because of travel and big family gatherings.

In related news, hundreds of thousands of swine flu shots for children have been recalled because tests indicate the vaccine doses lost some strength, government health officials said Tuesday.

The recall is for about 800,000 prefilled syringes intended for young children, ages 6 months to nearly 3 years. The shots, made by Sanofi Pasteur, were distributed across the country last month and most already have been used, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Phillips and health officials for the Butler and Warren County health departments said none of the recalled vaccine ever reached or was distributed from this area. Calls to the Hamilton City Health Department were not returned.

As of Tuesday it was unclear if any of the vaccine ever reached Ohio, “but we are looking into it,” said Kristopher Weiss, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health.

“It’s not safety related and CDC and (the Food and Drug Administration) believe the vaccine will still be effective,” Weiss said. “Parents of children who received vaccines from these lots do not have to do anything; although these youngsters do need two doses of H1N1 vaccine separated by 28 days to achieve maximum protection.”

Phillips said parents should not be concerned about the recall, but urged anyone with questions to call their local health department, which have a database of each person vaccinated and the lot number of the dose they received.

“They don’t really have to be concerned. It sounds like it’s just not effective. If their child did get the (recalled) vaccine their child may need to get a second shot,” Phillips said. “Parents may only be inconvenienced if anything.”

Phillips said all health

Phillips said those who plan to attend the H1N1 flu clinic on Saturday do not need to pre register.

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