Some families told to wait on vaccine.(chickenpox)(Brief Article)

2002 MAY 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Children in North Dakota may have to wait to get their shots to prevent chickenpox, due to a vaccine shortage.

Officials say the vaccine for chickenpox, as well as others, is in short supply in the country as a whole.

Children who are 1 year to 18 months old are being advised to wait 6 months for their next chickenpox vaccination, said Barb Frohlich, the state Health Department's immunization director.

Children of that age generally are not at risk of as many complications as older people, she said. But they should get the vaccine eventually, she said.

"Just because it's deferred, don't put it off indefinitely," Frohlich said.

Neighboring Minnesota reports shortages in 8 of 11 childhood vaccines, including those for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, chickenpox and pneumococal bacteria.

North Dakota officials have reported shortages of vaccines for pneumococal bacteria and chickenpox in children and for tetanus and diphtheria in adults.