DT polio combination vaccines against pertussis are out of stock. A serious situation for infants that is not expected to improve anytime soon.
For several months now, it has been almost impossible to find vaccines in pharmacies. The latter are experiencing difficulties in the supply of vaccines against BCG, polio or whooping cough. This shortage could have serious consequences for infants who must be vaccinated from the age of 2 months.
The tuberculosis vaccine (BCG) should be available from June. But concerning the obligatory vaccines diphtheria, tetanus and polio (DTP) associated with whooping cough, the shortage is expected to last until the end of 2015. At issue: the explosion in global demand for pertussis vaccines. Indeed, the pertussis epidemic in the United States, Great Britain or Australia could, in part, explain these supply tensions in France. The very long manufacturing time – more than 18 months – is also a justification put forward by the laboratories.
Hazards for infants
This shortage can have serious consequences for the health of infants. This is because whooping cough is an infectious respiratory disease that can be fatal for babies under 6 months of age. The shortage of this vaccine, which is not compulsory but highly recommended, risks causing a resurgence of the disease.
Currently, four polyvalent vaccines produced by the Glaxosmithkline and Sanofi Pasteur laboratories are concerned: the two vaccines indicated for the joint prevention of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio (InfanrixTetra® and Tetravac-acellulaire®) and vaccines indicated for the joint prevention of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b infections (Infanrix Quinta® and Pentavac®).
There remains the hexavalent vaccine
The only solution today is the variant of the DTP vaccine containing 6 strains including hepatitis B. Widely used in the world and in Europe, this vaccine is far from unanimous in our country. Nearly 10% of French parents are opposed to this vaccine, suspected – without proof – of causing multiple sclerosis.
The available doses of pentavalent hepatitis B strain-free vaccines (Infanrix Quinta® and Pentavac®) will only be accessible in maternal and child health centers and vaccination centers.
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