[Fwd: Merck Childhood Vaccine Recalled]

[Guest guest]

**Common Children's Vaccine Recalled**

By MIKE STOBBE & ndash; 50 minutes ago

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iGAbaEn2I-4TEgFdrye5Hx4h9RbwD8TG6BLG2

ATLANTA (AP) & mdash; More than a million doses of a common vaccine

given to babies as young as two months was being recalled Wednesday

because of contamination risks, but the top U.S. health official said

it was not a health threat.

The recall is for 1.2 million doses of the vaccine for Hib, which

protects against meningitis, pneumonia and other serious infections,

and a combination vaccine for Hib and hepatitis B. The vaccine is

recommended for all children under 5 and is usually given in a

three-shot series, starting at two months.

Drug maker Merck & Co., which announced the recall after testing

showed a sterilization problem in a Pennsylvania factory, said

concerned parents should contact their child's doctor.

" The potential for contamination of any individual vaccine is low, "

said Merck spokeswoman Dougherty.

Dr. Gerberding, head of the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, echoed that in a news conference.

" This is not a health threat in the short run, but it is an

inconvenience, " she said.

Dougherty could not immediately say whether the contamination seen at

the factory involves a virus or bacteria. She said if someone were

vaccinated with a contaminated shot, " There is a risk they could

develop an infection. " But she did not provide more details.

The recall is likely to heighten a debate over childhood vaccines and

their safety and whether too many are required. Some parents are

distrustful and suspect some vaccines of being linked to autism,

although scientific studies have not shown such a connection.

This week New Jersey took a controversial step toward becoming the

first state to require flu shots for preschoolers after a health

advisory board backed new vaccine requirements over opposition from

parents.

Merck, based in Whitehouse Station, N.J., is one of the few drug

makers that produces a significant number of vaccines.

While the company took a black eye with its September 2004 withdrawal

of the painkiller Vioxx due to increased risk of heart attacks and

strokes, the company has been performing well recently. On Tuesday,

it gave an upbeat assessment in its annual briefing for analysts.

Five weeks ago, Merck reached a deal to settle up to 50,000 Vioxx

lawsuits for $4.85 billion, an amount expected to save the company

millions in trial costs.

Its stock price has more than recovered from its post-Vioxx slump, a

two-year-old restructuring plan is going well and profits are up. For

example, Merck posted a 62 percent increase in its third-quarter

profit as revenues jumped by double digits.

Associated Press Business Writer A. contributed to this

report.