Small amount of H1N1 influenza vaccine for children under three voluntarily recalled

Small amount of H1N1 influenza vaccine for children under three voluntarily recalled
There are no vaccine safety concerns and kids don’t need to be revaccinated

Vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur has voluntarily recalled a small amount of H1N1 vaccine intended for use in children under 3. No safety issues with the vaccine have been identified. Routine testing revealed that this batch of vaccine has become slightly less potent over time. Despite this, children who received this vaccine are still protected from H1N1 flu, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.

“Children who have already received the recalled vaccine don’t need to be revaccinated. Parents just need to make sure that their kids 9 and younger receive two doses of H1N1 vaccine at least 21 days apart,” said Gary Oxman, Multnomah County Health Officer.

This recalled product represents a very small percentage of the total amount of vaccine received in Washington and Oregon. Washington received 5,100 doses of the recalled vaccine, a tiny fraction of the 1.6 millions doses of H1N1 vaccine the state has received to date. In Oregon, these figures are 7,600 and 1,066,450 respectively.

Any health care providers who have the recalled vaccine should stop using it, keep it refrigerated, and wait for instructions on how to return it.

More information about the recalled vaccine is available at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/syringes_qa.htm. Additional vaccine information, as well as tips on how schools, businesses, and others can avoid getting sick is available at www.nwflunews.info or www.flunewsswwashington.org.

H1N1 vaccine is now available for everyone in Oregon and Southwest Washington and everyone is encouraged to get vaccinated.

Children's Health Following a Winter Storm

Or in damp camping locations, summer cabins, etc.

Children are different from adults. Children’s nervous, immune response, digestive and other bodily systems are still developing and are more easily harmed. Children eat more food, drink more fluids, and breathe more air than adults in proportion to their body size. It is important to take extra care to ensure the safety of their food, drink and air following a storm. Of concern is mold, carbon monoxides and contaminated water or household items.

MOLD: To protect your child from mold exposure, you can clean smooth, hard surfaces such as metal and plastics with soap and water and dry thoroughly. Flood water damaged items made of absorbent materials cannot be cleaned and should be discarded. These items include paper, cloth, wood, upholstery, carpets, padding, curtains, and clothes.

Throw away ALL soft or absorbent toys because it is impossible to clean them and they could harm your child. Throw away ALL baby bottles, nipples, and pacifiers that have come in contact with flood waters or debris.

CARBON MONOXIDE: Never use portable generators indoors. Place generators outside as far away from buildings as possible. Due to loss of electricity, gasoline or diesel-powered generators may be used during or after a winter storm. Generators used at home should be professionally installed. Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless and deadly gas. Simply opening doors and windows or using fans will not prevent carbon monoxide buildup in the home or in partially enclosed areas such as a garage.

DRINKING WATER: If a water source may be contaminated with flood waters, children, pregnant women and nursing mothers should drink only bottled water, which should also be used to mix baby formula and for cooking.

The aftermath of a winter storm can have an impact on a community or region for days, weeks or even months especially at the coast where many people are now vacationing. We need to continue to protect our most vulnerable population.