Aventis increases manufacturing capacity to address shortage of vaccines
CDC Recommends Interim Deferral of Adult/Adolescent Boosters Until 2002
Aventis Pasteur supports the recently announced interim recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which advises adults and adolescents to defer 10-year boosters of tetanus/diphtheria (Td) immunization until 2002. The interim recommendations were issued because there is a shortage of some tetanus-containing vaccines caused by the discontinuation of production by the only other national manufacturer. Aventis Pasteur is now the sole national manufacturer of certain tetanus-containing vaccines and has been working closely with the CDC to address this shortage.
"We anticipate Aventis Pasteur being able to meet all other needs for tetanus immunization for the rest of this year, if the adult and adolescent boosters are deferred as outlined in the CDC recommendation," said Wayne Pisano, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Aventis Pasteur. "In light of the shortage, Aventis Pasteur has taken on the responsibility of fulfilling orders directly, while simultaneously increasing our production to fill the gap left when the other manufacturer withdrew from this marketplace."
Part of the challenge in meeting the nation's tetanus vaccine needs is that it takes 11 months to manufacture the tetanus/diphtheria vaccine. Aventis Pasteur expects to fulfill the complete national demand for tetanus-containing vaccines by early 2002.
According to the CDC, there are no changes in any other recommendations for Td vaccine use, such as: 1) persons traveling to a country where the risk for diphtheria is high; 2) persons requiring tetanus vaccination for prophylaxis in wound management; 3) persons who have received less than 3 doses of any vaccine containing tetanus and diphtheria toxoids; and 4) pregnant women who have not been vaccinated with Td vaccine within the preceding 10 years.
Health professionals should order Td vaccine directly from Aventis Pasteur by calling 1-800-VACCINE (1-800-822-2463). At the present time, the company is rationing Td vaccine by evaluating orders based on the interim CDC recommendations and the available vaccine supply.
To support the medical and public communities during this period, Aventis Pasteur is implementing a communications program about the CDC's interim recommendations to defer boosters. The company will provide updates to clinicians about supply status, instructions on how to purchase the vaccine and materials to help medical practices keep track of patients for whom boosters have been deferred, but who need to be called back when the supply is restored. Information is available on the company's e-commerce web site www.VaccineShoppe.com.
Aventis, a world leader in pharmaceuticals and agriculture, is dedicated to improving life through the discovery and development of innovative products. In 2000, Aventis generated group sales of 22.3 billion euros and employed around 92,500 people in its Pharma and Agriculture businesses. Aventis announced in November 2000 that it intends to focus on pharmaceuticals and plans to divest its activities in agriculture. Aventis was launched in December 1999 through the merger of Hoechst AG of Germany and Rhone-Poulenc SA of France. Corporate headquarters are in Strasbourg, France. For more information, please visit: www.aventis.com.
Tetanus-diphtheria vaccine is marketed by Aventis Pasteur Inc., which is located in Swiftwater, PA, and is owned by Aventis Pasteur SA. Aventis Pasteur, a world leader in vaccines with the broadest range of products, produces more than one billion doses of vaccines every year to immunize 400 million people around the world. Aventis Pasteur, headquartered in Lyon, France, is one of the pharmaceutical activities of Aventis SA.
Aventis Pasteur Inc. provides the broadest range of human vaccines and biologicals commercially available from any single U.S. vaccine company. It is a leading supplier of vaccines to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever, Haemophilus influenzae type b disease, meningitis, rabies, influenza, and typhoid fever.
Source: Aventis
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