Childhood Vaccine Being Rationed

Week of January 07, 2008

Stars and Stripes reports that U.S. Army health facilities in Europe will immediately start rationing the common childhood vaccine Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib vaccine) in the wake of a recall of about a million doses and fears of future supply disruptions. The vaccine protects against the bacterium that can cause meningitis, pneumonia and other serious infections in babies and young children. Parents who have concerns about the vaccine should talk with their child's doctor. For more information on the Hib vaccine recall, visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.