County: Kids swine flu vaccine safe

By T.J. Aulds

The Daily News  

Published December 16, 2009

Only 45 children in Galveston County received a version of the swine flu vaccine that was recalled Tuesday by the manufacturer. Parents need not worry, county health officials said, because despite the recall, the vaccine is safe. 

The French manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur voluntarily recalled about 800,000 doses of vaccine meant for children between the ages of 6 months and 35 months because the shots are not as potent as they should be. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized the recall was not prompted by safety concerns and even though the vaccine isn’t as strong as it’s supposed to be, children who received it don’t have to be immunized again against H1N1 virus —more commonly referred to as the swine flu. 

Galveston County Health District spokesman Kurt Koopmann said the county received 290 doses of the Sanofi Pasteur H1N1 vaccine, but only 45 doses were administered. The county is sending back the 245 unused doses. 

“At this time there are no actions recommended by the CDC other than returning the unused doses,” Koopmann said. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control Web site, the vaccine’s potency is only slightly below the specified range, and the recalled lots still should be effective in protecting young children from the H1N1 virus. Vaccines for children younger than 10 years old are given in two doses. 

Koopmann said children who received only the first dose of the vaccine still should return for another shot. 

kkoopman@gchd.org