W. Mich responds to H1N1 vaccine recall

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - On the heels of the CDC recalling 800,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine intended for young children, West Michigan health departments are responding.

Below is a county-by-county breakdown of what areas were affected and what is being done.

The vaccines lost their potency, but health officials say there is no concern for safety. Children, unlike adults, are supposed to receive a booster shot a month after the vaccine, so they are well-protected.

The doses affected are for children ages 6 months to 3 years old. They come from four lots. Three of the lots came to Michigan, totalling about 17,200 vaccines and were distributed to Allegan, Kalamazoo and Kent counties in West Michigan.

Kent County had 400 of these vaccines. More than half were sitting in storage waiting for distribution. About 130 went out to local providers and of those, health officials say 60 or 70 were administered.

When the county received notice Tuesday morning, it took action.

"This morning when we found out about the recall, we identified and notified a couple of the providers who had the vaccine shipped to them so they could take precautionary measures," said Bill Anstey, a deputy health officer for Kent County.

The maker of the vaccine, Sanofi Pasteur, discovered the problem during routine testing of batches. The vaccines have a shelf life of 18 months. These four batches were not very old, so the company is investigating what caused these vaccines to lose their effectiveness.

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The Kent County Health Department received 400 of the recalled doses of vaccine. Of those, 130 had been sent to health care providers in Kent County. The other 270 doses were designated for use at KCHD. The 270 doses designated for use at KCHD have not been administered and will be sent back to the manufacturer.

The Ottawa County Health Department did not receive any of the affected vaccine.

The Kalamazoo County Health Department has not used any of the recalled vaccine. Dr. Richard Tooker stresses the recall is not for safety reasons, but just for "subpotency." Tooker said children would have to get a second dose anyway, and that would take care of any potency concerns.

The Barry County Health Department did not get any of the affected lot.

The Allegan County Health Department received some of the affected lot, but intercepted it before it was used on anyone.

The Ionia County Health Department did not receive any of the recalled lots.

The Montcalm County Health Department did not receive any of the recalled lots.