Sanofi-Pasteur, one of the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the H1N1 influenza vaccines, has initiated a voluntary recall of certain lots of the vaccine. These lots are pediatric pre-filled doses of the vaccine that initially passed all safety and efficacy tests, but subsequent tests after administration revealed that the vaccines were less potent than specified. These lots contained about 800,000 doses of the vaccine.
Most infectious disease experts are saying the recall does not constitute a danger to patients. Most of the vaccines were already administered without any consequence, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not urging further action for those who already received it.
Despite the assurances, this voluntary recall raises further doubts among parents who already feel leery about giving their child the new vaccine. It is important to remember, though, that the H1N1 vaccine is not really new. In fact, the same process used to produce the flu vaccine every year was used in the H1N1 vaccine—and the flu vaccine has a long track record of safety and efficacy. Most importantly, vaccination is the only way to prevent and reduce the effects of this very serious infection.
