Wednesday, July 31, 2002

Vaccine supplies returning to normal

Recent shortages of some childhood vaccines are ending in Georgia and in District Four, according to Dr. Michael Brackett, District Medical Director.

"In the past 6-8 months some children were unable to get certain immunizations that are required for school and daycare attendance because those vaccine supplies were low. But now public health clinics and private providers are in the process of getting their vaccine supplies back up to normal levels," he stated.

"Children who previously submitted a Certificate of Immunization showing deferred vaccinations should now return to their health care providers to receive the deferred vaccines and get a new certificate."

Over the past several months the United States has faced shortages of many of the most important vaccines. Supplies have dwindled due to a combination of factors: a decrease in the number of companies producing vaccine; manufacturing problems experienced by some companies; and problems meeting FDA quality standards.

Both public and private providers have had to deal with short supplies of the vaccines that protect against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, and pneumococcal disease. As a result, providers had to defer certain doses of each vaccine in order to preserve the available supply for those most at risk.

If the shortages had continued, the U.S. could have faced the very real possibility of a resurgence of many of the diseases that have become so uncommon in the past several years.

Fortunately, all of the vaccines that have been in short supply are returning to normal levels, (except varicella and pneumococcal), so previously deferred doses of vaccine can now be administered.

Because they receive the most vaccines, children from infancy through age 6 have been the most affected by these shortages. Though young children comprise the group receiving the most vaccines, other populations have been affected as well.

Students registering for college also have vaccination requirements, usually for a second measles-mumps-rubella vaccination (MMR), or perhaps for a tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster. If these students were deferred from getting these vaccines, they too should now be able to return to their medical provider for the needed vaccine and completed documentation.

Finally, adults in general may have been the "victims" of the vaccine shortage, specifically those needing a routine Td booster. Although all adults should receive a Td booster once every 10 years, for more than a year these routine boosters have had to be deferred because of limited supplies. These people should contact their providers about returning for this all-important booster.

Most parents of school-aged children are too young to remember when measles, mumps, rubella, and other so-called "childhood diseases" were an everyday occurrence, a common rite of passage through childhood.

Thanks to vaccines, our children are very unlikely to experience the temporary discomfort and occasional permanent disability or death that vaccine-preventable diseases can cause.

Though all vaccines have not quite come back to their pre-shortage levels, namely chicken pox and pneumococcal vaccines, "the medical community is finally beginning to breathe a little easier, knowing that patients can be recalled for deferred immunizations and required vaccines can now be administered on time," said Dr. Brackett.

Cynthia Grant, R.N., nurse manager of Fayette County Health Department, strongly recommends that parents, college students, or adults who have had one or more vaccines deferred: check with your physician's office to insure that the vaccine you seek is available.

She states that all Health Dept. clients who had immunization(s) deferredshould have received, or will soon be receivinga postcard indicating that Td, DTaP, and MMR are now available; and instructingthem to call for an appointment.

School will be starting in less thanthree weeks. Please do not wait until the last minute for to call for immunization appointments. The wait may be longer this year as providers attempt to get children "caught up" on vaccines that were previously deferred.

Parents please remember: you must have a completed Georgia Certificate of Immunization (Form 3231), or a Supplemental Vaccine Certification Form (Form 3189 for those children entering the 6th grade who only need to show proof of having had a second MMR, and Varicella-or-history of having had chickenpox) to enroll your child in school for the first time, or ifhe/sheisentering the 6th grade.