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800K Swine Flu Shots for Kids Recalled

They lost effectiveness since being distributed

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 15, 2009 11:21 AM CST

(Newser) – French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis has recalled 800,000 child doses of swine flu vaccine sold to the US because the preservative-free shots have significantly declined in potency since manufacture. The CDC says anyone already vaccinated with the syringes—intended for children 6 to 25 months—is safe, but doctors should return all unused doses. All other doses on the market for children under 2 years now contain the preservative thimerosal. Studies show it to be safe, though it worries some parents, reports Bloomberg.

Sanofi manufactured the preservative-free doses. (AP Photo)

A 1-year-old reacts while receiving vaccine for swine flu. (AP Photo)

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Showing 3 of 13 comments

cognitivefilter

Dec 16, 2009 5:07 AM CST

mercury = poison

d3wd

Dec 15, 2009 9:15 AM CST

This means lots of people didn't want their BS shots. This is great news.

Unaffiliated

Dec 15, 2009 7:44 AM CST

I didn't get the H1N1 vaccine, and I don't think we need to vaccinate children under 2 with all 42 different vaccines that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends. But since thimerosal was removed from the MMR vaccine, autism rates have neither increased or decreased. This indicates to me that there is no link between the two. Does that mean thimerosal is safe? No, but that can't be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.

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Health • US

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800K Swine Flu Shots for Kids Recalled

They lost effectiveness since being distributed

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

thimerosal • Sanofi-Aventis • drug recall • pandemic • swine flu • H1N1 virus • swine flu vaccine recall • preservative

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More Newser Stories

WHO Exaggerated Swine Flu Pandemic: EU Reports

Watchdogs accuse WHO of colluding with drugmakers

US May Toss 75M Doses of Swine Flu Vaccine

Unused shots are near expiration date

Thank You, Swine Flu: Seasonal Version No Big Deal

History, and this past spring, show novel strains 'crowd out' normal ones

Swine Flu Hits 1 in 6

H1N1 has killed 10K Americans

Flu Pandemic Slacks Off, But 'It's Not Over'

Tamiflu-resistant cluster crops up in NC; 3 of 4 patients dead

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800K Swine Flu Shots for Kids Recalled

They lost effectiveness since being distributed

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

thimerosal • Sanofi-Aventis • drug recall • pandemic • swine flu • H1N1 virus • swine flu vaccine recall • preservative

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

WHO Exaggerated Swine Flu Pandemic: EU Reports

Watchdogs accuse WHO of colluding with drugmakers

US May Toss 75M Doses of Swine Flu Vaccine

Unused shots are near expiration date

Thank You, Swine Flu: Seasonal Version No Big Deal

History, and this past spring, show novel strains 'crowd out' normal ones

Swine Flu Hits 1 in 6

H1N1 has killed 10K Americans

Flu Pandemic Slacks Off, But 'It's Not Over'

Tamiflu-resistant cluster crops up in NC; 3 of 4 patients dead

About Us

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Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?