mercury levels in H1N1 vaccine
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 10:50 am
Thought this may be of interest. My mom works at a hospital here in NY
and sent this to me
Amity
October 29, 2009
Dear Health Care Provider:
This letter is to inform you that pursuant to Public Health Law (PHL)
§ 2112(4), I hereby
authorize the use of influenza vaccines containing more than the mercury
levels described in
PHL § 2112 (2) and (3), due to insufficient amounts of vaccine
containing the mercury levels
described in said sections, as is necessary to respond to a disease
outbreak. This authorization
shall continue until May 1, 2010. All vaccinations should be given with
the informed consent of
the patient or the patient's parent or person otherwised authorized
to consent..
New York State is currently experiencing a resurgence of the 2009 H1N1
influenza
pandemic. The State's influenza activity level has been at
"widespread," the highest category,
for the past two weeks. Indicators of influenza activity including
hospitalizations for confirmed
influenza, emergency department visits for influenza-like-illness (ILI),
sentinel provider reports
of the proportion of patients with ILI, and laboratory reporting of
positive influenza results are
elevated in many areas of the state, greatly exceeding normal levels for
this time of year. Most
influenza identified by laboratories is the H1N1 strain, but some
isolates of seasonal influenza
are also being identified. High rates of school absenteeism are being
reported in some
communities and outbreaks on college campuses have been reported, with
one death of a college
student. There have been several other deaths reported due to influenza,
including the death of a
pregnant woman. This level of influenza activity is very unusual for
this time of year and
indicates that the H1N1 pandemic is not lessening and may be
accelerating in New York State.
Young children and pregnant women are documented to be at greater risk
of severe disease
outcomes from influenza in general, and H1N1 influenza in particular.
The epidemiology of
H1N1 infections in New York State last spring showed that children under
age five years had
rates of confirmed H1N1 infection of about five per 100,000, which was
almost twice the
infection rate in persons age five to 24 years, and five times the rate
for persons 25 years of age
and older. Children under age five years had rates of hospitalization
more than eight times that
for persons age five to 24 years of age and 14-20 times higher than for
older persons. Nine
deaths were reported in the spring in children under age 18 years.
According to the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pregnant women are at
increased risk of
complications and death from H1N1 influenza. Pregnant women have
experienced a four-fold
higher rate of hospitalization and a six-fold higher death rate than the
general population due to
H1N1 infection.
Supplies of both the 2009 seasonal trivalent and 2009 H1N1 monovalent
vaccines are
inadequate to meet the immediate need to vaccinate all persons who seek
vaccination including
young children and pregnant women. On October 14, 2009, the CDC issued
an update on the
availability of the 2009 trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine. The CDC
update stated that,
"Because the total number of doses that will be made this year is
approximately the same as the
number of doses that were actually administered last year, an increase
in demand cannot be met
this season." The New York State Department of Health (DOH) has
received numerous calls
from hospitals, other regulated facilities, county health departments,
and members of the public
about difficulty in obtaining seasonal influenza vaccine.
Supplies of monovalent 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine have become
available from the
federal government in the last three weeks. According to CDC, only six
million doses of
thimerosal-free influenza vaccine for children under three years of age
will be available
nationally. New York State's per capita share of these doses is
approximately 378,000 doses.
This is only enough to vaccinate 26 percent of the estimated 723,851
children in this age group
(2007 data) with the recommended two doses. In addition, CDC indicates
that substantial
supplies of the pediatric thimerosal-free formulation will not start to
be available until mid- to
late November, while H1N1 disease is accelerating in the state now.
For these reasons, I have determined that there will be insufficient
supplies of 2009 seasonal
trivalent and 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccines that contain the mercury
levels set forth in PHL
§2112 (2) related to children under three years of age and (3)
related to pregnant women.
Therefore, the authorization for the use of vaccine containing more than
the mercury levels set
forth in said sections is necessary to protect the public health.
Sincerely,
Richard F. Daines, M.D.
Commissioner of Health
Enclosure (PHL § 2112)
and sent this to me
Amity
October 29, 2009
Dear Health Care Provider:
This letter is to inform you that pursuant to Public Health Law (PHL)
§ 2112(4), I hereby
authorize the use of influenza vaccines containing more than the mercury
levels described in
PHL § 2112 (2) and (3), due to insufficient amounts of vaccine
containing the mercury levels
described in said sections, as is necessary to respond to a disease
outbreak. This authorization
shall continue until May 1, 2010. All vaccinations should be given with
the informed consent of
the patient or the patient's parent or person otherwised authorized
to consent..
New York State is currently experiencing a resurgence of the 2009 H1N1
influenza
pandemic. The State's influenza activity level has been at
"widespread," the highest category,
for the past two weeks. Indicators of influenza activity including
hospitalizations for confirmed
influenza, emergency department visits for influenza-like-illness (ILI),
sentinel provider reports
of the proportion of patients with ILI, and laboratory reporting of
positive influenza results are
elevated in many areas of the state, greatly exceeding normal levels for
this time of year. Most
influenza identified by laboratories is the H1N1 strain, but some
isolates of seasonal influenza
are also being identified. High rates of school absenteeism are being
reported in some
communities and outbreaks on college campuses have been reported, with
one death of a college
student. There have been several other deaths reported due to influenza,
including the death of a
pregnant woman. This level of influenza activity is very unusual for
this time of year and
indicates that the H1N1 pandemic is not lessening and may be
accelerating in New York State.
Young children and pregnant women are documented to be at greater risk
of severe disease
outcomes from influenza in general, and H1N1 influenza in particular.
The epidemiology of
H1N1 infections in New York State last spring showed that children under
age five years had
rates of confirmed H1N1 infection of about five per 100,000, which was
almost twice the
infection rate in persons age five to 24 years, and five times the rate
for persons 25 years of age
and older. Children under age five years had rates of hospitalization
more than eight times that
for persons age five to 24 years of age and 14-20 times higher than for
older persons. Nine
deaths were reported in the spring in children under age 18 years.
According to the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pregnant women are at
increased risk of
complications and death from H1N1 influenza. Pregnant women have
experienced a four-fold
higher rate of hospitalization and a six-fold higher death rate than the
general population due to
H1N1 infection.
Supplies of both the 2009 seasonal trivalent and 2009 H1N1 monovalent
vaccines are
inadequate to meet the immediate need to vaccinate all persons who seek
vaccination including
young children and pregnant women. On October 14, 2009, the CDC issued
an update on the
availability of the 2009 trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine. The CDC
update stated that,
"Because the total number of doses that will be made this year is
approximately the same as the
number of doses that were actually administered last year, an increase
in demand cannot be met
this season." The New York State Department of Health (DOH) has
received numerous calls
from hospitals, other regulated facilities, county health departments,
and members of the public
about difficulty in obtaining seasonal influenza vaccine.
Supplies of monovalent 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine have become
available from the
federal government in the last three weeks. According to CDC, only six
million doses of
thimerosal-free influenza vaccine for children under three years of age
will be available
nationally. New York State's per capita share of these doses is
approximately 378,000 doses.
This is only enough to vaccinate 26 percent of the estimated 723,851
children in this age group
(2007 data) with the recommended two doses. In addition, CDC indicates
that substantial
supplies of the pediatric thimerosal-free formulation will not start to
be available until mid- to
late November, while H1N1 disease is accelerating in the state now.
For these reasons, I have determined that there will be insufficient
supplies of 2009 seasonal
trivalent and 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccines that contain the mercury
levels set forth in PHL
§2112 (2) related to children under three years of age and (3)
related to pregnant women.
Therefore, the authorization for the use of vaccine containing more than
the mercury levels set
forth in said sections is necessary to protect the public health.
Sincerely,
Richard F. Daines, M.D.
Commissioner of Health
Enclosure (PHL § 2112)