WEAKENED VACCINE PROMPTS INFLUENZA ALERT.Byline: The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times Because 5.8 million of the 75 million doses of flu vaccine produced this season were not full strength, federal health officials advised doctors Tuesday to consider giving another flu shot to roughly two million recipients who are at highest risk from complications of the viral infection viral infection, n an infection by a pathogenic virus. A virus acts on the cell nucleus, taking over the genetic material within the nucleus and replicating itself. . People over 65 and those with chronic heart and lung disease lung disease Pulmonary disease Pulmonology Any condition causing or indicating impaired lung function Types of LD Obstructive lung disease–↓ in air flow caused by a narrowing or blockage of airways–eg, asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis; are among those considered at highest risk, health officials said in raising the alert. But they said that because of dwindling supplies of flu vaccine, priority should go to people at high risk who have not been vaccinated at all this season because they need protection the most. Healthy people should not be reimmunized, even if they received the weakened vaccine, officials said. It is the first time that scientists have ever detected a weakened flu vaccine, Dr. David A. Kessler, the commissioner of the food and drugs, said in an interview. The drug agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. in Atlanta announced the alert. Kessler said the cause of the weakened vaccine was unknown and was being investigated. The vaccine with some weakened doses was Fluogen, made by the Parke-Davis division of Warner Lambert Co. Eleven lots distributed to all 50 states and the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). lost potency, said Stephen Mock, a spokesman for Warner Lambert. Parke-Davis is one of four manufacturers of influenza vaccine influenza vaccine Flu vaccine A vaccine recommended for those at high risk for serious complications from influenza: > age 65; Pts with chronic diseases of heart, lung or kidneys, DM, immunosuppression, severe anemia, nursing home and other chronic-care used in this country. Parke-Davis made a total of 13 million doses of the vaccine, or about 18 percent of the U.S. supply, Mock said. |
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