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Immunisation update - Prevenar stock shortage |
The shortage of stock available in Australia is due to a temporary shutdown of the Prevenar filling line in the US manufacturing facility to make modifications and upgrades. Wyeth voluntarily extended the shutdown in order to implement the planned manufacturing enhancements as quickly as possible. It hopes to resume supply of Prevenar in April.
The current maintenance and upgrade program will help ensure Wyeth is well placed to supply the product needed to implement universal vaccine programs.
During the limited period of restricted supply, Wyeth is working with health authorities to distribute available stocks of Prevenar in the most appropriate manner. Priority has been given to infants identified as being at highest risk and part of the National Childhood Pneumococcal Vaccination Program; infants <12 months of age who have already started vaccination will receive Prevenar for the second and third doses.
The question that arises is the length of time a parent can wait for the next Prevenar dose if a child has already started vaccination with Prevenar.
Doses of Prevenar are usually given at 2, 4 and 6 months on the Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule. There is a minimum interval of four weeks between doses, however there is no maximum interval between doses of Prevenar, e.g. a child who has received one dose of Prevenar at 2 months may be given subsequent doses at 6 and 10 months to complete the primary series. Full protection will not occur until all doses are given.
Parents or guardians of children less than 12 months of age who have already started vaccination will need to take the script for their child’s remaining doses (2nd and 3rd doses) to their local pharmacy. Pharmacies will need to call Wyeth customer service directly on 1800 700 802 to place an order. Wyeth will ship Prevenar directly to the pharmacy with the patient’s initials.
,b>Only two doses per patient will be supplied
For those doctors with direct accounts with Wyeth, it will continue to supply children who have started vaccination. No new accounts will be opened.
It is still important to keep parents informed about the recommended vaccines for their children, even if some are temporarily unavailable.
Indigenous immunisation eligibility change
Please note tobacco smokers are a special risk group now included in the latest 8th Edition Australian Immunisation Handbook.
This means that all your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients aged 15 and older who are smokers should now be given free pneumococcal vaccination under the National Indigenous Pneumococcal and Influenza Immunisation Program.
Not sure if you have any patients of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island origin?
The National Centre for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Statistics, part of the ABS, provides a pamphlet for patients (Are you of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin? Why you are asked this question?), and for providers (Are you of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin? Why do GPs need to ask this question?) For more information on these pamphlets, contact Freecall 1800 633 216.
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