RP: Vaccine Update!

jshf

FDA ASKS PHYSICIANS TO SUSPEND ROTARIX USE. The New York Times (3/23, Harris, 1.09M) reports that the FDA "on Monday asked the nation's pediatricians to stop giving children" Rotarix, a vaccine used to protect against rotavirus, "until federal scientists can figure out why the product contains apparently harmless but extraneous pieces of a pig virus." Dr. Margaret Hamburg, FDA commissioner, said, "This was a difficult decision for us because there is no evidence at this time that there is a risk to children." The decision on the Rotarix vaccine, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, also "is unlikely to disrupt routine immunizations in children since a second vaccine, this one made by Merck and called RotaTeq, remains available." Dr. Hamburg added, "We're not taking this vaccine off the market."

The Wall Street Journal (3/23, Dooren, Favole, 2.08M) reports that the FDA's recommendation came after it became aware that an independent US academic team found porcine circovirus 1, or PCV-1, DNA in Rotarix. Dr. Hamburg also noted that a panel of outside medical experts in four to six weeks will be convened to address the issue.

The Washington Post (3/23, Brown, 684K) notes that "preliminary tests of GSK's inactivated polio vaccine, which is also made in cell culture, has not found the contaminating virus."

AFP (3/23) also points out that "European medical regulators were urgently seeking information Monday" from Glaxo "after finding traces of a virus that normally infects swine in a children's vaccine." Still, the European Medicines Agency said in a statement, "The findings do not present a public health threat."

According to USA Today (3/23, Rubin, 2.11M), "One million US babies have received Rotarix, a two-dose oral vaccine, since its approval in 2008, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said."

CNN (3/23, Watkins) adds that "Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, said 'a substantial amount' of the DNA was found in the vaccine. But, he stressed, 'there is no evidence that it causes any disease. ... There is no evidence that it ever does anything.'" The Los Angeles Times (3/23, Maugh, 776K), the AP (3/23, Neergaard), Dow Jones Newswire (3/23, Hemans), and the Financial Times (3/23, Jack, 448K) also covered the story.

LoveEeyore

Yeah, none of my kids have been vaccinated for rotovirus.  The vaccine has had problems from the get go.  The first formula was pulled  because it caused twisted bowels or something like that, killing some kids.  I felt like it was too new.  I'm all for vaccination, but they have to find a way to do it safely. 

tuxcat

mine had it and it worked great. all the other nonvaxed babies at daycare, all the parents (including us) and the daycare personnel all had horrible rotavirus around new years.

my little guy was the only one looking around like, WTF? why are you all puking and pooping??

MarriedBestFriends

LoveEeyore:

Yeah, none of my kids have been vaccinated for rotovirus.  The vaccine has had problems from the get go.  The first formula was pulled  because it caused twisted bowels or something like that, killing some kids.  I felt like it was too new.  I'm all for vaccination, but they have to find a way to do it safely. 

This. We opted out of RV vaccine although DD is in daycare.

wingsfan524

DD had 1 dose of it and got very ill from it, including a seizure approx a week later. That vaccine scares me to death.

gettin' hitched

I also wanted to add that one of the people who invented the vaccine owns the patent AND is on the board of the CDC.  I think that people who have financial interests towards a vaccine should not be on a board that sets the reccomendations.

wingsfan524

gettin' hitched:

I also wanted to add that one of the people who invented the vaccine owns the patent AND is on the board of the CDC.  I think that people who have financial interests towards a vaccine should not be on a board that sets the reccomendations.

Totally agree.  Conflict of interest.