Incorrect Vaccine Regimen Not Uncommon.(Brief Article)

2001 JUL 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) --

by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Pediatricians should do a double-take when it comes to vaccine regimens for their patients, caution endocrinologists. Incorrect timing of vaccine administration is all too common, as doctors try to keep up with guidelines that are often revised, the researchers say.

"Frequently changing immunization recommendations may lead to incorrectly administered doses," confirmed A.J. Butte and colleagues at Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. They suggested that current U.S. guidelines need to be simplified.

The researchers prospectively collected immunization histories for 580 patients

Of a total 6,983 immunizations, 289 (4.1%) of doses were invalid, and 206 of the 580 patients received at least one invalid dose, reported Butte and coworkers. The most common mistakes were unnecessary poliovirus vaccine at 18 months (n=66) and a second hepatitis B vaccine given too close to the first (n=53) ("Strict interpretation of vaccination guidelines with computerized algorithms and improper timing of administered doses," Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal June 2001;20(6):561-5).

"By strict interpretation of immunization guidelines, many patients were ...