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Notice to Readers: Limited Supply of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
CDC has received notice from Wyeth Vaccines, the only U.S. supplier of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
(PCV7, marketed as Prevnar®), that production constraints could cause delays in shipments in the first or second quarters of 2004. Until full production capacity is resumed, local shortages might occur. To minimize shortages, Wyeth Vaccines will
implement an allocation plan to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccine supply among private purchasers. CDC will work with Wyeth Vaccines to help achieve equitable vaccine distribution to the states that order through CDC contracts; this distribution will be based in large part on state PCV7 inventories and past usage.
Current supply assessments indicate that the U.S. PCV7 supply is adequate to vaccinate all children beginning at age
2 months using the 4-dose schedule recommended in October 2000
(1). Health-care providers who have not received
sufficient PCV7 for their private purchase supply should contact their local Wyeth Vaccines representative or call Wyeth Vaccines, telephone 800-666-7248. Providers with insufficient supply from the public sector, including vaccine obtained through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, should contact their state health department immunization program. CDC is
working closely with Wyeth Vaccines and state health
departments to monitor the PCV7 supply on a frequent basis and to
ensure equitable vaccine distribution in both the private and public sectors. Schedule recommendations might be modified if future PCV7 supplies prove to be insufficient. Updated information about the national PCV7 supply can be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/news/shortages/default.htm.
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Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content
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