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Vaccine recall avoids health dept.

Mike Sever
December 21, 2007

A recent recall of infant vaccines does not affect the vaccines given at the Portage County Health Department.

Several lots of Hib vaccines produced by Merck & Co. were voluntarily recalled. Hib stands for Haemophilus influenza type b.

According to Dr. Angela DeJulius, Portage County Health Department's medical director, all of the Hib vaccine doses given at the county health department are manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, a different maker of Hib vaccine.

The Hib vaccine prevents certain types of meningitis, pneumonia, severe throat infections and other serious infections.

It is recommended for all children under five years old in the U.S. The vaccine is given in a three-dose shot series and is usually given to infants starting at two months old along with their routine childhood immunizations.

The Portage County Health Department provides immunizations to all children and adults. Any child can get their shots from the Portage County Health Department through the Childhood Immunization Walk-In Clinic located in Child Health Services on the first floor of the Portage County Administration Building, 449 S. Meridian St., Ravenna.

The Childhood Immunization Walk-In Clinic is open 8 a.m. to noon every Wednesday. Childhood immunizations are provided five days a week from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Child Health Services. Call Sharon Waesch at (330) 297-5437 for more information.