Via: www.WRAL.com
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 pre-filled 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 have already been used, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Doctors were notified of the voluntary recall on Tuesday. Dr. Anne Schuchat, a CDC flu expert, stressed that parents don’t need to do anything or to worry. The vaccine is still safe, she said.
Almost 18,000 doses of the recalled vaccine were distributed in North Carolina, said Amy Caruso, spokeswoman for the Immunization Branch of the state Department of Health and Human Services. Officials were contacting 132 health care providers statewide who received the vaccine from the batches being recalled, she said.
