The vaccine is safe but might not prevent swine flu, or H1N1, the Health Department said. Officials are recommending about 150 people get another flu shot as a precaution and have asked local health care officials to contact them.
Tim Wiedrich, chief of the Health Department’s emergency preparedness and response section, said the vaccine generally should be kept at a temperature ranging from 36 degrees to 46 degrees.
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The questionable doses arrived in the state at the proper temperatures, Wiedrich said. They were then repackaged last Wednesday and sent to 99 health care providers around the state. The next day, some of the providers reported the freeze indicator had activated, he said.
“There are many variables involved with this type of shipping,” Wiedrich said. “There’s a potential that the outside air temperatures were out of range. It could be the location of the monitor inside. We simply want to have an abundance of caution.”
The Health Department estimated about 1,100 doses of injectable vaccine are affected out of a total 24,100 doses. It said the Flumist nasal spray was not affected.
Wiedrich said the doses that are questionable will be disposed of and the state will have no problems getting replacement vaccine.
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