• There are a number of parents who are not convinced of the safety of vaccines with a preservative.

• There is a preservative-free vaccine for children developed for that reason.

• Today, the CDC announced a recall of the unused batches because they have lost potency of 10-12 percent (which means it under-performs in creating immunity).

• There are no more preservative-free shots for children under age 2.

Bloomberg

“Sanofi-Aventis SA recalled 800,000 doses of swine flu vaccine after testing showed the potency of the batches was too low, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement today.

“Doctors who have unused shots from the batches should return them, the CDC said today. The shots remain safe, and people who have already been inoculated don’t need to get revaccinated, according to the Atlanta-based agency.

“The shots passed potency tests when they first shipped, and their potency dropped in subsequent tests by 10 to 12 percent, said Anne Schuchat, head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, in a telephone interview. (Emphasis added)

“The recalled shots are preservative-free syringes of a low- dose version made for children ages 6 months through 25 months, she said. There are no remaining preservative-free shots available for children under 2 years old. The preservative, called thimerosal, has been shown repeatedly in studies to be safe, though some parents are wary of it, Schuchat said.” Emphasis added

Source: Bloomberg, December 15, 2009