I’m not happy…during my 3 month visit with Laurel’s new Pediatrician, I let the doctor talk me into vaccinating her against Hib & DTap. About a week later, I noticed a little lump where the shot was administered. I assumed it was just minor damage to the soft tissue that would go away with time. My friend Mandy said her daughter had a similar reaction to a vaccine and it took 3 months for the lump to go away. But now I’m concerned that this reaction could be related to the recent recall by Merck for their Hib vaccines in which they state that the sterility of the vaccine may have been compromised by a bacteria which can cause skin abscess. So this little lump that Laurel still has could be an abscess, ugh! I guess it’s now back to the doctor for a follow-up visit…I wish I would have listed to my gut on this one and waited until her 6 month appointment to be vaccinated…lesson learned! See below for details on the recall.
From Parenting.com:
Merck & Co. has recalled about 1 million doses of the children’s Hib vaccine after finding bacteria on the equipment used to make the vaccine in the company’s West Point, Penn. manufacturing plant. Merck has recalled 12 lots of the PedvaxHIB and Comvax vaccines that were shipped starting in April 2007.
The children’s Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine is used to protect children from meningitis, pneumonia, and other serious bacterial infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the Hib vaccine for all children under 5 years old in the U.S.
Federal health officials said that the recalled vaccines are fully potent and children do not need to be revaccinated. Parents should look for signs of infection at the site of the inoculation days after the injection, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said. Signs to look for include skin bumps or abscesses. Any problems would appear within a few days of injection; after a week, problems are unlikely, according to the CDC.
Hib vaccines made by other companies are not included in the recall.
For a list of the recalled vaccines with lot numbers and expiration dates, visit: http://www.fda.gov/cber/recalls/merckhib121107.htm.
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