Strengthening the Supply of Routinely Recommended Vaccines in the United States

摘要

An unprecedented and unanticipated shortage of routinely recommended vaccines occurred in the United States beginning in 2001, resulting in significant and extended shortages of routinely administered vaccines against 8 of the 11 vaccine-preventable childhood infectious diseases. The affected vaccines included DTaP, MMR, varicella and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines; adult tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Td) were also in short supply. Shortages of some vaccines have been more acute in the public sector than in the private sector. These shortages led the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to recommend deferral of certain immunizations and to set priorities for high risk patients until supplies of vaccine returned to normal. These deferrals posed an increased risk of otherwise preventable infectious diseases.