St. Charles County Department of Community
Health & The Environment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 23, 2001

CONTACTS:
Nancy Duncan, Director of Division of Public Health: 636-949-7407
Gil Copley, CH&E Director: 636-949-7477

Td Vaccine in Short Supply
Routine booster to be delayed

St. Charles County -The St. Charles County Division of Public Health announced today that because of the national shortage of tetanus toxoid-containing vaccine (TD) for immunizing adults and adolescents, routine Td boosters must be delayed until adequate supplies are available. The shortage arose when one manufacturer discontined the vaccine production leaving only one manufacturer still producing TD vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the vaccine will be is short supply until sometime early in 2002.

The Center for Disease Control has issued recommendations for the use of available vaccine that will assure vaccine availability for persons in the high priority groups as follows:

• Persons traveling to a country where there is a high risk for diphtheria
• Persons needing vaccine as part of wounds management
• Persons who have received fewer than three doses of vaccine containing tetanus
• Pregnant women who have not received Td within the past 10 years

For additional information, contact the St. Charles County Division of Public Health at 636-949-7400 or go to the Department of Community Health and the Environment website at www.scchealth.org and click "Tetanus Vaccine Shortage" on the scrolling banner.

###

[GO BACK]