H1N1 Vaccines Recalled by AstraZeneca’s MedImmune Unit

AstraZeneca’s MedImmune unit has issued a recall on 4.7 million doses of their nasal spray vaccine for H1N1. The recall was voluntary from the company, and they claim that the cause was due to potency concerns, not a failure or defect in the vaccine itself. The FDA says that those that have already been vaccinated with their medication do not need to be revaccinated.

MedImmune is not the first to recall H1N1 vaccines due to an error in the potency. Sanofi-Aventis recalled about 800,000 doses of their pediatric H1N1 vaccines, due to the potency not being high enough.
However, MedImmune’s recall is a bit different in nature than Sanofi-Aventis. MedImmune has recalled their vaccines not because of safety reasons, but as a precautionary measure. The company is worried about the potency in vaccines that are being stored. Apparently, some of the vaccines have diminished in terms of their strength and the company is worried about a significant part of their vaccine losing all of it potency. By recalling some of their product they can make sure a potent, working vaccine will be kept on the market, not a “watered-down” version.

There is no reason anyone should worry about this recall. If you haven’t already been vaccinated, now is still a great time to go and get yourself some added protection.