Meningitis vaccine recall sparks fears

Health officials say that the vaccines, which are sold under the trade name Menjugate, have been recalled purely as a precautionary measure.
A statement from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that the vaccines, which are manufactured and packed in Italy by pharmaceutical company Novartis, had passed all safety tests, and that the fear of possible contamination had arisen after a sample of the two batches was sent overseas for air pressure testing. The samples tested positive for the Staphlococcus aureus bacterium when they reached their destination. However, the batches sent to the UK were transported by road and were not exposed to the air pressure testing. Staphylococcus aureus can cause a number of serious health problems, including fatal blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Around 17,000 doses of the vaccine had been sent to GPs' clinics before the MHRA were alerted to the problem. It is not known how many children have received doses from the batch that has been recalled, but there have been no reports yet of any infections.
Professor Kent Woods, chief executive of the MHRA, said, 'Parents should not be concerned over this recall, as there is currently no evidence to show that UK children have been put at risk. Novartis is recalling these two batches as a precautionary measure.'
The health scare has sparked fears that uptake of the meningitis jab, which is manufactured and prepared in Italy, may decline, as it did for the MMR vaccine after a study published over ten years ago suggested a link with autism.
Christopher Head, chief executive of the Meningitis Research Fund, said, 'Prevention in the form of vaccination remains the main weapon against meningitis and septicaemia. These are serious diseases which can kill in hours. We understand that people may have worries regarding safety of meningitis vaccines and would encourage anyone with concerns to phone our Freefone 24 hour helpline on 080 8800 3344.'