Merck Focusing on Combination Vaccine

December 29, 2008

Singles are not safe either

from " Isabella " <isabellathomas@...>

Manufacturer Stops Sales of Monovalents for Measles, Mumps, Rubella

By <mailto:dmitchell@...>

12/24/2008

Merck & Co. Inc. has stopped production and sales of its monovalent

vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella. The manufacturer instead

plans to focus on its combination vaccine, MMRII.

Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose said MMRII accounts for 98 percent of the

company's volume for measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, compared to

just 2 percent from monovalent vaccines Attenuvax (measles), Mumpsvax

(mumps) and Meruvax (rubella).

" The combination vaccine is what's recommended, and it's such a

significant portion of the orders we see, " said Rose. " It's in the

best interest of public health to make more of that rather than

dedicate manufacturing capacity to monovalents. "

Rose said Merck had not decided when, or if, it might make the

monovalent vaccines available for sale in the future.

Doug Campos-Outcalt, M.D., M.P.A., who serves as the AAFP's liaison

to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and is a

former member of the AAFP Commission on Clinical Policies and

Research, said Merck's decision was insignificant in terms of public

health. He added, however, that some parents likely will be unhappy.

" The use of the single antigen is pretty limited, " he said. " There's

no harm if you need one in getting all three. There are some parents

out there that want a delayed vaccine schedule. They want the

vaccines spread out over a longer period of time and not so many at

once. That's a lot of hooey. Alternative schedules have never been

proven to be superior. "

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

Childhood Disease & Homeopathy Email classes start in January 2009

Recommended Posts